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Post by Moonblazer on Apr 29, 2024 21:23:58 GMT -5
Greaser had been silent for a long while, the large white Tom clearly in thought. He allowed Sable to tend to his wounds as he sat quietly. After a few more moments he glanced at Chaos. “Try to get information from the clan cat.” He spoke, voice cold. “See if he’s working with Axel.” Greaser ordered. — Lance lounged lazily on a small ledge, grumbling slightly. He never got to do anything fun. Sucked being not the favorite. Stupid Revy. He glanced down at Bucky who was collecting a few herbs. Revy got to go patrol while he was stuck guarding the healer for the day. "What's got you so worked up, Lance?" Rocco leaped down from one of the steel beams in the factory, perching on the one right above Lance's lounging spot. He waved his tail brightly in greeting to Bucky, before looking at Lance once more. "Is it the guard duty? Because I'm as bored as ever too. Hopefully, they'll be back soon, before Axel gets back from his patrol." He mused, seeing as Revy had gathered some cats earlier in the day, but had yet to come back. Revy was never late, ever. So this was odd.
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Post by Foxstar26 on Apr 29, 2024 21:40:27 GMT -5
Lance glanced up when he heard a noise. He waved his tail in a greet to Rocco before looking back at Bucky. “I feel like I’m always stuck doing jobs any cat could do.” He huffed. “Like it gets boring doing nothing.” He grumbled. “I bet Revy’s patrol was interesting. He’s been gone a long while.”
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Post by Moonblazer on Apr 29, 2024 22:00:32 GMT -5
Lance glanced up when he heard a noise. He waved his tail in a greet to Rocco before looking back at Bucky. “I feel like I’m always stuck doing jobs any cat could do.” He huffed. “Like it gets boring doing nothing.” He grumbled. “I bet Revy’s patrol was interesting. He’s been gone a long while.” “I hear you there. You know, I heard if you climb the tallest skynest, you might be able to catch sight of Salem. I hear she’ll give you something special if you visit her. I might try.” Rocco snickered, before he seemed to grow more serious and hum. “He’s been gone longer than usual. But, maybe there’s a reason. He’s your brother, not mine! You’d know better than me.” He humored.
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Post by Foxstar26 on Apr 29, 2024 22:05:12 GMT -5
Lance rolled his eyes at Rocco’s jokes. “When I climb the tallest sky nest is the day I become a bird.” He said with a good natured chuckle. “Brother? Pah barely. He doesn’t pick me for his ‘special patrols’ just Axel’s other kits.” He yawned. “Hence why I’m stuck here watching Bucky.”
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Post by Moonblazer on Apr 29, 2024 22:46:42 GMT -5
Lance rolled his eyes at Rocco’s jokes. “When I climb the tallest sky nest is the day I become a bird.” He said with a good natured chuckle. “Brother? Pah barely. He doesn’t pick me for his ‘special patrols’ just Axel’s other kits.” He yawned. “Hence why I’m stuck here watching Bucky.” “Well, he’s got a whole lot to pick through.” Rocco commented with a hint of a tease, though inwardly he was always surprised at just how many kits Axel had. He offered. “Maybe you just need to get his attention, somehow. Do something clever that’ll make him want to take you everywhere on patrols.”
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Post by Icefire15 on Apr 29, 2024 23:05:56 GMT -5
Whitesun fell silent when Revy spoke, unsure if the tom had been speaking to them or the younger ones. He glanced back at Jadefeather and gave a flick of his ear, indicating that they would continue the conversation once they were somewhere without anyone else around to listen to them.
Arcticbreeze lifted her head when Jadefeather addressed her, "I have no idea how they can even recognize me. I've never been outside of ThunderClan territory before today, and I certainly have never met any of these cats in my life." She said quietly, eyeing Revy and the other rogues. Her tail lashed in concern, wondering if the other half of their patrol was okay or if they had been attacked as well.
Nightmare flicked her ear at Harlow's jibe at her and Revy's close bond, choosing to ignore it in favor of turning her attention to their half-sibling as he spoke. "I'll be surprised if Father doesn't take your head along with those Clan cats." She replied smoothly, her steady gaze watching him closely. "How exactly do you plan on convincing him to not kill them as soon as we walk into base? I doubt you saved them from Greaser and his goons just to walk them to their deaths."
---------
Chaos gave a nod and stood up, quickly making his way towards the prisoner's den where Sparrow was being held.
"Oh, those weird looking creatures? Is that what you call them? That's a weird name." Kyra said, completely unfazed with the scolding Sable was giving her. She looked over at Skyla when he motioned towards the pretty she-cat, "Okay! I'll take care of it." She purred, picking up the rag and some of the flowers before bounding over to the wounded she-cat.
"Good. Him walking with a limp will be payback for this scar that I'm bound to have." Skyla said with a snort, although she didn't really care about a scar or two on her face. She glanced down when Kyra bounded over, giving the kit a flick of her ear, "So I guess the grumpy tom sent you to look after me then?"
Kyra nodded excitedly, setting the rag and flowers down as she answered, "Yup! I'll take good care of you, promise!" She mewed, her eyes shining as she spoke.
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Post by Willow on Apr 30, 2024 17:06:14 GMT -5
Nettlepatch stood, "We're not waiting anymore, let's follow their trail."
(I figured they could go find Silvercloud's body and then they'll retreat back to their camps)
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Post by Moonblazer on Apr 30, 2024 18:03:48 GMT -5
Revy gave a knowing glance back at Nightmare as she spoke, his voice clear as he mused. “Dear Nightmare, all will be clear once there is an audience to be had. Do you suppose I do not know our father well enough to know how to ignite his interest? Clan cats or not, every heart beats with a purpose before it dies. They just need to serve their purpose.” He looked right at the Clan cats, as though daring them to speak.
Jadefeather watched Revy wearily, though his words made her start with realization. “So. These four are Axel’s as well, then?”
“And proud of it.” Harlow grunted coldly at Jadefeather, her eyes narrowed.
“There are many of those.” Revy laughed, his tail swishing lazily as he continued onwards. In front of them, a large and abandoned factory stood tall and daunting, full of the scent of the Gang.
—-
“Chaos only really has small wounds.” Sable grumbled. “If you’re going to beat some answers out of that prisoner, at least do it without a big mess for me to clean up.” He sighed as he finished with Greaser, moving on to inspect Manx’s many wounds, cursing at the tom for being so careless to dislocate his shoulder.
“You’re doing good, Kyra.” Jax nodded at the she-cat, his deep voice surprisingly kind. “We’d be in bad shape without you or Sable cleaning us up.”
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Post by Icefire15 on Apr 30, 2024 19:24:00 GMT -5
Whitesun eyed the large building warily, having never seen a twoleg nest as big as this one before. He certainly didn't like the scent that was coming from it either, knowing that they were walking into a place that obviously had a large number of cats within it.
Arcticbreeze bristled as they were led towards the factory, her nose wrinkling in distaste as she took in the scents of many cats coming from it.
Nightmare merely met her half-brother's gaze with her own, but stayed silent as they drew closer to their base. She trusted that Revy knew what he was doing and would obviously follow his lead.
---------
Chaos slowed as he reached the prisoner's den, giving a lash of his tail to signal the guards to move the covering of the den to allow him to slip inside. Revy interfering with Greaser's ambush had put him in a sour mood, and he wasn't looking forward to having to put up with this Clan cat's attitude after what had happened. Either way, he wasn't going to ignore a direct order from his leader, and would do as he was told even if it meant dealing with Sparrow.
Kyra purred in thanks, using the rag to clean the cut above Skyla's eye like how she had seen Sable do with Greaser's wounds. "Sable's been showing me lots of things now that I'm mostly done healing! It's fun." She mewed, having to stand on her tip toes to reach the taller she-cat's wound.
Skyla bent down to make it easier for the young kit to reach the cut, giving her an encouraging smile as Kyra worked on her wounds.
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Post by Foxstar26 on Apr 30, 2024 19:46:49 GMT -5
“Yeah?” Lance looked at him. “And what do you suggest?” He asked, clearly interested. His attention was drawn away when he scented new cats. He looked towards the entrance. From the sound and smell of it Revy’s patrol was back with new cats.
—
Greaser turned to Manx. “I have a job for you.” He spoke. “I want you to take a patrol and try and hunt down Jaguar. I need to ask her some questions.”
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Post by Icefire15 on Apr 30, 2024 19:50:59 GMT -5
Nettlepatch stood, "We're not waiting anymore, let's follow their trail." (I figured they could go find Silvercloud's body and then they'll retreat back to their camps) Hawkpaw jumped up and hurried after Nettlepatch, starting to grow worried for her parents and Silvercloud.
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Post by Foxstar26 on Apr 30, 2024 19:53:46 GMT -5
Ravenshade nodded her head and hurried after. After a few minutes of walking she started to detect the smell of other cats. Ones she didn’t recognize. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks, eyes wide. No.. it couldn’t be. She knew the new scent that hit her. It was her brother and blood.
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Post by Willow on Apr 30, 2024 20:05:55 GMT -5
Nettlepatch almost ran into Ravenshade as she stopped so suddenly. His face growing grim as the scent of blood hit him. He hurried forward as he spotted a tuft of fur tucked into the corner of the ally. His body went cold as he came face to face with the lifeless body of Silvercloud. "Starclan no..."
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Post by Moonblazer on Apr 30, 2024 20:10:31 GMT -5
Jadefeather swallowed deeply as they approached the factory. Starclan, it hadn't changed one bit in the moons since she had been gone. There was the old staircase to the side of the factory. There were the steel beams still suspended by metal claws from metal strings. Cats were still lounging around, some guarding the entrance, others peering down at them with narrowed eyes. Most were cats she'd never met, but a few leaped up with recognition, spitting her name in shock.
Revy led the patrol inside, looking up at where Rocco and Lance were looking down at them. The black tom gracefully leaped his way up a few of the steel beams, looking down at Azalea and Farland. "Keep them guarded, right here. Axel should be returning from his patrol any moment now. I timed it." He now turned to look at Lance, his voice warm yet cool at the same time. "My dear brother. Have things been steady here in our absence?"
"Very much so!" Rocco quickly dipped his head, vouching brightly for Lance as he purred. "Lance here was easily the most attentive cat here. He'd be perfect for another patrol, you know." He winked quickly at his friend, even as Revy gave the two toms a leisurely amused lift of his brow.
---
Manx quickly shoved off Sable's attentions as soon as his shoulder was popped back into place. He grinned toothily, ignoring his aches and pains in favor of getting to hunt down the wretched she-cat who clearly set them up for failure. "Count on me, Greaser. I'll drag her back by her throat if needed."
Sparrow sat back with both disgust and intrigue. He noticed Chaos approaching and narrowed his eyes. He had heard what Greaser had ordered, and he knew he needed to choose his words carefully. He wasn't sure if Shadeclaw was still behind the monster prison, but right now he needed to focus on getting as much information as he could. He huffed. "I'm willing to talk without trouble, alright? Because whatever Clan issue you all ran into, I have nothing to do with it." He relented, hoping he would at least be let out if he was to be interrogated.
"I can see." Jax rumbled, watching Kyra tend to Skyla with a hint of fondness. It was clear that the tom was gentle with members of their group, far more so than with cats outside of it. Kyra was far too young to be out having fights anyway. He was glad that she was here as a healer instead.
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Post by Icefire15 on Apr 30, 2024 20:12:50 GMT -5
Hawkpaw's ears flattened when she caught the scent of blood and many other cats besides Silvercloud's and her parents. She kept walking until Nettlepatch and Ravenshade froze in their tracks at the sight of the senior warrior's body, her eyes widening in shock. "Silvercloud!" She cried out, hurrying over to the dead warrior. Hawkpaw nudged Silvercloud gently with her nose, wanting to believe that she was only unconscious rather than dead. After a moment, she lifted her head and looked around the area frantically, not seeing either of her parents anywhere. "Mom! Dad!" She called out for them, moving away from Silvercloud to try and find them.
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Post by Foxstar26 on Apr 30, 2024 20:39:56 GMT -5
Lance watched Revy lead the clan cats in. Who were they? Jadefeather he recognized after a few moments. Hmm that was sure interesting. But the others? He watched as Revy bounced his way up. “Everything was quiet.” He said in agreement as he shot his friend a glare for the complement.
—
Greaser nodded. “Good. I want her to pay if she sold us out.” He spoke before turning away. This certainly threw a wrench in the plans.
—
Ravenshade hesitated before peering around the bush as well. Her blood ran cold at the sight of Silvercloud. The scent of blood hanging thick in the air. She could also smell the gang. She shivered at the thought of them killing Silvercloud. There appeared to be the scents of two other groups of cats. One she didn’t recognize and the scent of the skyclan and Thunderclan warriors.
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Post by Icefire15 on Apr 30, 2024 20:55:39 GMT -5
Whitesun eyed the cats that they passed, growing even more tense as they went deeper into the factory. He was relieved when they finally slowed to a stop, his shoulder starting to make it difficult for him to keep walking. Whitesun stayed silent and kept his face void of the pain that he was feeling from his injury, he didn't want to show these cats any kind of weakness despite the obvious injuries he already had received from the ambush.
Arcticbreeze stuck close to Whitesun and Jadefeather, glaring at the many rogues as they walked past them.
-----
Chaos stared down at Sparrow, "And how do I know you aren't lying?" He said, flicking his tail to the guards to close him in with Sparrow. Chaos wasn't concerned about being alone with him in the den and was more than capable of taking care of himself if the smaller tom decided to attack him. "Obviously you've been eavesdropping, so you know that the trouble we ran into had nothing to do with the Clan cats. Tell me what you know about Axel."
Kyra finished cleaning Skyla's wound and quickly chewed up the marigold, her little face scrunching up at the taste of it. "Ick." She spat, scooping it up and dabbing it onto the cut. Once she had finished, she looked over at Jax hopefully, "Do you have any wounds that I can help you with?" Kyra asked, blinking at him.
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Post by Moonblazer on Apr 30, 2024 21:08:22 GMT -5
"If it's recognition you want, all you have to do is ask." Revy mewed smoothly to Lance, blue eyes searching his younger brother before he offered him a knowing look. "The next trip I make, I'll bring you and only you with me. Consider it a bonding experience, between brothers." He promised, genuine in his words, but startling in his softness, like a chilling snowfall. He looked then at Rocco, before his attention was drawn to where he could see a dark shape slip into the factory from a high window. Leaping down from bar to bar, Axel landed with a grunt before his sons, eyes piercing as he instantly spotted and scented the cats below.
Axel's fur bristled with a dangerous anger, his voice as cold as Revy's as he demanded. "Why have you brought that into my home? Revy-"
"Look closer, father." Revy crooned sweetly, guiding his father's eyes to Jadefeather and Arcticbreeze with his tail. Axel's raw anger slowly seemed to morph into a sudden realization, and for the first time, the gang leader seemed to be stunned to wordlessness. Axel stepped past Revy to leap down further until he could approach the group of Clan cats. In the minimal rays of fading sunlight that made the factory glow in dappled orange, he towered over the Clan cats and looked over the two she-cats as if seeing a ghost.
Rocco startled at Axel's arrival, pressing closer to Lance in case their leader addressed the other tom. Instead, he seemed to be stunned by the Clan cats that Revy brought in. Rocco whispered to Lance. "Did you know about this?"
---
"It's hard not to when you all talk so loudly." Sparrow grumbled, eyeing Chaos tensely in case the larger tom made an attack. He blinked, genuinely confused. "Axel? Whoever that is, you know them more than I do. I've never met an Axel. The part of Twolegplace I stayed in, all of you are just called Shadow Cats." He huffed, inwardly getting a feeling that this Axel name did seem familiar. Had he overheard whispers about him by some other loners? He couldn't remember, but Chaos seemed pretty serious.
Jax nodded once, turning to show Kyra his back and shoulders. "A small one clawed up my back a bit. It's not too deep, but you can help with it, I'd appreciate that a whole lot."
---
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Post by thistle on Apr 30, 2024 21:19:18 GMT -5
Magnolia was in her den on the far end of the factory, where the sun couldn't reach in and ruin her herb mixtures. Tucked away in an overturned, partially rusted metal barrel were several Twoleg items, holding various herbs and ready-made poultices; they were sorted neatly along the side of the drum. In the back was a somewhat ragged old bed the former kittypet had found beside a dumpster and dragged in to be her nest. As she heard voices coming from the main entrance, her ears pricked and she looked up from where she was sniffing at some shriveled stalks of marigold she had acquired from the kittypet Patrick near the edge of the Twolegplace.
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Post by Willow on Apr 30, 2024 21:22:21 GMT -5
Nettlepatch carefully took hold of Silvercloud's scruff, dragging her out away from the mess of overturned barrels and boxes. His eyes were full of pity as he turned to look at Hawkpaw. "We'll make sure we get her body back to your camp. Can you scent your parents nearby? You'll know their scent better than anyone."
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Post by Icefire15 on Apr 30, 2024 21:37:05 GMT -5
Whitesun's attention was drawn to the figure approaching them, and judging from the way everyone else shrunk away from him, this was obviously the leader of this group of rogues. He pressed firmly against Jadefeather's side, wanting more than anything to push her behind him protectively, but knew that he wouldn't be able to stand much without her support.
Arcticbreeze eyed the large tom warily, was this the one they kept talking about? Axel? Once again, she didn't recognize him either and yet he looked at her like he had seen her before. Why did everyone seem to think they knew who she was? She had lived in ThunderClan her whole life, there was no way they could know her!
Nightmare sat down next to her littermates, her curiosity peaked when she saw the way their father reacted when he saw the two she-cats. Her ear flicked as she watched, wondering just who they were to him.
Obsidian padded towards her kits when they returned with Revy, inspecting them for any possible injuries they could have gained from the fight. Satisfied with her inspection, she turned to see what her mate planned on doing with Revy's guests.
------
Chaos' eyes bore into the tom as Sparrow spoke, looking for any indication that he was lying to him. He stood up and slowly circled around the tom, his eyes never leaving him, "Has anyone approached the den and spoken to you?" He asked.
Kyra nodded excitedly and picked up the rag again before quickly setting to work on cleaning Jax's wounds, humming quietly to herself as she worked on him. "Did the small one get you by surprise? I didn't think it was possible to sneak up on you!" She mewed, having tried to sneak up on the tom before only to be caught before she could execute her perfectly thought up surprise attack. "You always catch me before I can catch your tail." She pouted.
------
Hawkpaw paced worriedly, her mouth open to try and find either Whitesun's or Jadefeather's scent. She shook her head, looking at Nettlepatch and Ravenshade, "I... I can't tell, there's too much going on here." She whimpered, looking around frantically. "But they must be here somewhere! Maybe... maybe they went deeper into the Twolegplace!"
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Post by Foxstar26 on Apr 30, 2024 22:37:11 GMT -5
Ravenshade peeled away from the others a few steps. She seemed almost lost and dazed. Her mind was reeling, what had happened here? And how was Revy involved. She shook her head. She had to focus. She moved to try and scent around, trying to find any indication of where their clan mates went. “I think their scents lead this way.” She said after a minute. “They are mixed with another groups.”
— Lance looked at Revy in shock for a moment. A patrol? Was it really that easy? He wasn’t so sure. He glanced at Rocco, about to say something before his thoughts were interrupted by Axel’s appearance. “I have no idea.” He whispered to Rocco, watching Axel approach the clan cats. It took a lot to make Axel shocked.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 1, 2024 6:28:49 GMT -5
For a moment, Axel was silent, though his eyes trained so intently on Jadefeather that she felt herself wilting under it, the same way she used to as a kit. How such deep pride and anger could exist in one tom’s eyes had always astounded her. Axel’s love was intense, yet so was his fury, and often times she felt both were one in the same.
“The Clans, Jade?” Axel started, his voice rough like gravel, as though breathing a shocking revelation. “Of all the places you could have defected to, you choose them?” Betrayal and anger filled his eyes. “You could have gone anywhere else, and I would have at least understood that, but them?!” For a moment, he looked ready to tear her throat out, yet he didn’t move. He didn’t even lift a claw.
“It’s where I belonged.” Jadefeather mewed, hiding the shakiness of her voice with a stubborn determination as she pressed close to Whitesun. Axel bristled, eyes narrowing.
“You belonged here. At my side. Alongside us.” He looked around at all of the Night Strikers around him, the empire he had worked so hard to continue for Alice. He released a deep growl, before his attention was drawn to Arcticbreeze. “And you. Who is your mother, kit?” He demanded sharply.
Revy watched with mild interest, seemingly focusing on something else as he monitored the progress. Already, it was going well. Axel wasn’t attacking. Moreso, he was focused on Jade being alive than he was on them being enemies. Revy didn’t care too deeply if Axel did decide to execute them, but he at least wanted to ring the Clan cats out of their battle training tactics and hunting skills, to give them an advantage over Greaser’s growing strength. If it was Axel’s daughters, then perhaps he would be more willing to consider it.
“That’s Jade?!” Rocco whispered to Lance with wide eyes, having only ever heard about her in murmurs amongst the Gang. He whispered. “So that’s why he brought them in! They’re Clan cats, but that one’s like you!”
—-
Sparrow wanted to admittedly rat out Shadeclaw, the thought of him being clawed up being a satisfying one. Yet, even so, Sparrow found himself unable to snitch on him. Shadeclaw could still be useful, even if he hated the idea of working with him again. So, the tom merely sighed. “Yeah, that big she-cat who’s been sitting on the monster pile above me asking me if I like maggots in my prey. That’s the only cat who likes to talk at me and force me to listen to her taunting.”
“I have a name, you little rat.” Pumpkin yawned, draped lazily above the two toms on her usual prisoner guarding duty. Plump and aggressive, she enjoyed tormenting the smaller tom.
“This little one is faster than most.” Jax explained with a small scowl, grunting. “A kit of a nasty shadow. They sting like bees, from birth.” He complained, before he assured. “You’re far better than that.”
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Post by Icefire15 on May 1, 2024 13:56:52 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze flinched lightly at Axel's sharp voice, but quickly tried to hide it by raising her chin to glare back at him, "Skyblossom of ThunderClan." She said, referring to the she-cat that had raised her. Even though she was still hurt by the fact that Skyblossom had never told her about where she had truly come from, Arcticbreeze still considered her as her mother and she could tell from Axel's question that this wasn't the mother he was referring to either.
-------
Chaos shot Pumpkin a sharp glare to silence her before he looked back at Sparrow. It was clear the tom knew nothing about Axel, and he doubted that the rival Gang leader wanted anything to do with a former Clan cat. "Since you're so keen on eavesdropping, then perhaps you've heard some whispers while you were listening in." He continued, stopping his circling to stand in front of him again. His mismatched eyes held a dangerous glint as he glared down at Sparrow, almost daring him to try anything. "Has anyone in this group said anything about Axel recently? Or Revy? And I don't mean currently. I'm talking about if they have said anything that puts those mange-pelts in a good light."
Kyra blinked at the description, wondering just what kind of cat this was. She finished chewing up the marigold again and applying it to Jax's wounds before stepping back, "All done! Do you feel better now? Did it work?" She asked, staring up at him.
--------
Hawkpaw bounded over to where Ravenshade was, taking in the scents and managing to catch a whiff of both her parents as well as Arcticbreeze's. "That means they're okay, right? They wouldn't take them with them if they were..." She trailed off, not wanting to say that her mother and father could possibly be dead.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 1, 2024 16:02:51 GMT -5
“Thunderclan…” Axel narrowed his eyes deeply, shaking his head gruffly as he snapped. “You look too much alike to not be Zarina’s daughter. A spitting image.”
“She must be referring to a cat who raised her in the Clans. Assuming she was left by Zarina, as she had a tendency to do.” Revy offered with a curling grin, standing steady against Axel’s firm glare, before the tom slipped down to his father’s side, speaking frankly yet thoughtfully.
“The only Clan that Greaser despises more than anything is Thunderclan. Not only do we have one here now, but to be a spitting image of Zarina? The odds! You know I would never come forward so boldly if I didn’t think this could be a grand advantage to our strength and power. In battle, the rouges who make up many of Greaser’s friends had lost time and time again to Thunderclan. Clearly, they have a battle prowess that works.”
“What are you implying?” Axel grunted darkly, eyes flicking to Revy with clear warning.
“In exchange for our gracious mercy and hospitality, these Clan cats can assist in expanding our combat skills. Who better than the same daughter who abandoned you? What better a punishment than to have her amongst the very cats she betrayed again?” Revy listed, tempting in his explanation as he gave Jadefeather a look that was far more intelligent and frightening than Axel’s had ever been.
For all the violence and anger that Axel could have, he took care of his enemies quickly and without much suffering. But Revy… Jadefeather could see the danger in his composed smile, the way his mercy could be slow and torturous if he wanted it to be. She looked at Whitesun, swallowing deeply. With his injured shoulder, there was no way they were getting him out of here. She winced angrily at the mention of her mother, who she had never been close with… and yet, her eyes widened as she realized just who Arcticbreeze looked like. Had… had she been born outside Thunderclan?
Azalea looked shocked at Revy’s proposal, glancing amongst the other cats. Allowing Clan cats to stay and train them in combat? That was unheard of!
—-
“Oh, believe me, I’d be happy to rat out one of your companions if I could. But nobody’s talked to me but the big one above us, and she hasn’t said anything about an Axel or a Revy.” Sparrow thought about lying just to see Chaos attack Pumpkin, but he had an inkling that Chaos wouldn’t fall for a lie twice.
“I hate this little rat tom.” Pumpkin hissed with annoyance, looking at Chaos. “I’d never risk my place here by doing anything like that, anyway.”
“It already feels much better. Thank you, Kyra.” Jax nodded his approval, the marigold soothing the wounds along with the water from the rag. He carefully moved to lay on his stomach, grooming his fur carefully.
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Post by Foxstar26 on May 1, 2024 17:12:28 GMT -5
Ravenshade hesitated. It didn’t seem like they were dead. If revy wanted then dead he would have just killed them here. This meant he probably had a plan. “No I don’t think they are dead. Perhaps prisoners…” she said carefully. “Maybe they want to bargain with the clans?” She suggested.
—
Lance nodded lightly. “I don’t remember her well.. I was really young when she left but that’s definitely her.” He whispered to Rocco, watching the drama unfold from their ledge. He was shocked when Revy suggested they keep the clan cats to learn from them. “Gah!” He exclaimed before leaping down from his perch to land near Axel and Revy. “Father, you can’t really expect to house these cats here and learn from them?” He spoke. “What have they got to teach us? We’re the most feared cats here.”
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Post by Moonblazer on May 1, 2024 17:44:29 GMT -5
Ravenshade hesitated. It didn’t seem like they were dead. If revy wanted then dead he would have just killed them here. This meant he probably had a plan. “No I don’t think they are dead. Perhaps prisoners…” she said carefully. “Maybe they want to bargain with the clans?” She suggested. — Lance nodded lightly. “I don’t remember her well.. I was really young when she left but that’s definitely her.” He whispered to Rocco, watching the drama unfold from their ledge. He was shocked when Revy suggested they keep the clan cats to learn from them. “Gah!” He exclaimed before leaping down from his perch to land near Axel and Revy. “Father, you can’t really expect to house these cats here and learn from them?” He spoke. “What have they got to teach us? We’re the most feared cats here.” Revy slowly turned a chilling blue gaze upon his younger brother, a silent sweetness coating the dangerous warning beneath. Rocco nearly bristled his pelt off in shock at Lance’s sudden intrusion, desperately whispering for his friend to come back, to not cut in. He looked around frantically. Axel looked down at Lance, seeming to contemplate the younger tom’s words, before he looked back at Revy, eyes narrowing. “Lance has a point. Speaks sense. Clan cats are nothing but a wretched stain here. We never needed them then, and we do not need them now.” Revy’s muzzle curled up once more, a thoughtful hum escaping him. “What dear Lance does not state is that Greaser’s numbers have increased over the past moon. I take account of every Strike Patrol. I remember every single account.” He reminded steadily, slinking close to Lance’s side and leaning down to purr warmly at his brother. “These aren’t just any Clan cats, are they, Lance? They share the same blood as you and me. What a shame, to be so hostile towards one of our own.” He looked up at Axel, all the sweetness gone in an instant, replaced by cool calculation. “They’re not Shadowclan. That is what you have a conflict with, the Clan that tempted Grizzley away.” Axel’s long claws extended in a heartbeat, eyes dangerously narrowed as he spoke deeply. “Never say his name.” “I am not wrong.” Revy reminded with a challenge in his eyes, shocking a few of the members with how boldly he stood against his father. It was clear that a small shift was beginning, and Axel’s lack of an attack yet only meant to Revy that he was not completely confident that he could put his oldest son in his place now. Not anymore. The two toms stood face to face for a long moment. Farland widened his eyes, still and tense in anticipation. Harlow was even more astounded, looking sharply between her father and older brother, as Shadow averted his eyes from the tense face-off. The long moment lasted, until Revy lifted his chin, unblinking and unwavering, knowing that he wasn’t wrong. “I am not. Wrong. When Jade left, you named Spade as your successor. I attended with loyalty to both you and my sister until it was clear that Spade abandoned us too. Only then did you believe I could maintain the role you reserved for your daughters, and I have yet to fail you. Yet to ever give you reason to doubt my loyalty, or my dedication to everything you worked for. Leave as they may, I am not my sisters.” Revy flicked his tail smoothly, holding Axel’s icy gaze with his own. “Here, they are not Clan cats. They are what you desire them to be. Kill them if you desire, but I believe they are worth far more alive than dead. A bartering chip, vessels for hunting, likely informative on Greaser’s rouges. Let me make us even stronger.” He urged with a steady and tempting whisper. Axel slowly pulled his claws back in, both angered yet proud of his son’s fearlessness. As much as he despised the Clans, he couldn’t deny that it was Shadowclan in particular that he would never allow into his territory. He looked down at Jadefeather, Whitesun, and Arcticbreeze once more, growling in thought.
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Post by Foxstar26 on May 1, 2024 18:04:10 GMT -5
At first Lance met Revy’s gaze, especially when their father agreed with him. He couldn’t help but let a light smirk cross his face. Ha! Shows you Revy, He thought to himself. As the conversation shifted he couldn’t help but shrink from his gaze, flinching away from the silky sweet purr. As much as Revy annoyed him at times, Lance still feared him.
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Post by Icefire15 on May 1, 2024 19:05:21 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze watched as the two toms spoke to one another, her tail flicking back and forth in irritation. Just who was this Zarina that they were talking of? Did she really look so much like this mystery she-cat that they really believed her to be her daughter? She noticed the look of recognition on Jadefeather's face when the name had been brought up as well. Did the SkyClan warrior know who Zarina was as well?
Whitesun glanced at Jadefeather when Revy brought up the possibility of them teaching these cats some Clan battle moves, a frown taking place on his face. They couldn't possibly think that they would willingly teach them anything!
Nightmare narrowed her eyes as she watched, curious to see just what Axel would decide on what to do with the Clan cats. She eyed the two she-cats and took a better look at them when Revy referred to them as shared blood. Meanwhile, Blizzard watched with his own interest, although he didn't really care which way this interaction would go.
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Chaos watched Sparrow for a long moment before he turned away, not finding what he was looking for, "I'm done here. Let me out." He said with a deep growl, hitting the entrance cover with a heavy paw. Chaos turned his head to look back at Sparrow over his shoulder, "If I find that you've been lying, there will be severe consequences later." He warned, his tail lashing behind him as he padded out of the den once the entrance had been uncovered again.
Kyra purred at Jax's confirmation of feeling better and bounded back over to Sable, "Jax and Skyla have been taken care of!" She reported, looking up at the older tom with a smile.
Skyla watched as the kit scurried away, giving an amused twitch of her whiskers, "Bundle of energy that one." She mewed, glancing back at Jax. "Hard to believe that almost a moon ago she was laid up in a nest with that nasty injury on her back."
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Post by Moonblazer on May 1, 2024 19:58:02 GMT -5
After a long few moments, Axel seemed to finally make up his mind. He relaxed his shoulders, but remained tall with an imposing sense of order and disdain to his gaze. He grunted. "The only reason I won't slaughter you where you stand is because I don't kill my kits." He looked once at Whitesun, narrowing his eyes at how close he was to Jadefeather. "Though I'm very tempted to kill this one, seeing as you seem like a reason she abandoned her home."
"I left before I ever even knew him." Jadefeather reminded with a tight tone to her voice, her eyes averting as she suddenly mewed. "If you let us go, you'll never see us again. If you despise Clan cats, we never intended to ever come here. That new gang... Greaser, you said? He attacked us far out from the city. We..."
"Were going to be killed, like their Clanmate." Revy reminded smoothly, his eyes gleaming with interest as he eyed his older sister. "We defeated Greaser. Sent him running back to his base like a kit with his tail between his legs. Courtesy of your four younger ones. They preformed exceptionally." Revy looked pointedly at Harlow, Shadow, Blizzard, and Nightmare, knowing that Axel had a soft spot for the litter he had with his most beloved mate. Revy glanced over at Obsidian as well, hoping she was aware of how well her kits had done.
Axel mused lightly at that, looking over at his youngest litter with a lifted brow, before he seemed to almost coil with pride at the sight of their shallow yet new scars. They now looked like Night Strikers, and he found himself weighing his anger over his pride. He made a sharp noise for all the talking to stop, before he approached Whitesun, Arcticbreeze, and Jadefeather.
"A compromise. An injury like that will leave you out of commission in a place like this, Clan cat. You've nowhere to run or hide that I cannot hunt you down. As much as I despise your Clans... I despise Greaser and his growing nest of rats even more. The more information you provide me, the kinder I will be for your temporary stay. There is no prisoner's den. I don't take prisoners, I kill them. If I find you to be unhelpful, if I find you to be a bother, I will not hesitate to kill the injured one, and allow Farland to finish up with you two." He looked coldly at his daughters, before he continued. "Cooperate to my liking, and you'll be tossed off at your wretched Clans once your use is done with. I couldn't care less to ever invest myself with your Clan problems, I've no obsession like the rouges who joined Greaser's pack."
Revy remained calm and impassive, though inwardly he felt a curl of satisfaction that he had indeed managed to sway his father's decision. Axel was surprisingly calm, though Revy realized that Axel suddenly seemed to be looking at Jadefeather with suspicion, nose twitching as though trying to decipher a scent. His eyes flicked with understanding, in a way that had Jadefeather narrowing her eyes in confusion and nerves. She stood protectively in front of Whitesun and Arcticbreeze.
Harlow lifted her chin proudly at Revy's praise, basking under Axel's look of approval. Shadow was more shy, dipping his head deeply in respect.
Rocco quickly shimmied closer to Lance, eyes frantically trying to signal to his friend to come closer to him while Axel was distracted.
Azalea had recognized the scent on Jadefeather that Axel seemed to have noticed, her eyes flashing sternly as she felt impatient to get her alone. What were pregnant Clan cats doing out here anyway? If Jade wanted to be gone forever, she was doing a horrible job of it. She eyed Arcticbreeze then, knowing there was no doubt that she was Zarina's kit as well. Everything looked identical, and Azalea knew Zarina like the back of her paw. That had to be her daughter. She listened to the quiet chatterings of the Gang, who seemed conflicted on this new order from the usually violent Axel.
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Pumpkin sighed, but obeyed Chaos, her large shoulders allowing her to move the heavy entrance enough for the large tom to slip out. She glared at Sparrow with a pout as the younger tom sighed and lashed his tail, looking at Chaos. "I don't doubt it. You've got big paws and a big head, I'm sure you'd love to take a bite out of my hide for any reason." He muttered bitterly, hoping that Chaos would leave so he could try and hear if Shadeclaw was still there.
Sable had finished up with his organizing after cleaning up Greaser and Manx. The older tom looked down at Kyra and snorted. "Good to hear. Knowing you, you bounced around so much that they probably opened up another wound. But... hmph. Decent job, kit." He gave the rare compliment with a stoic yawn.
"Think she would have died, had Sable not fixed her up?" Jax mewed to Skyla, watching Kyra from afar as well. Everyone knew that Sable and Kyra had a special kind of connection, and while Sable was as grumpy with her as he was with everyone else, it was only ever her that he complimented.
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