Stalking the Night

Prowler slipped back into the Sleeping Alley, silently making his way to his spot upon a dumpster. His movements were fluent and percise, making no disturbance whatsoever but in the dust. Lying down, he began to examine his claws as he licked the street grime from the white hairs.
Flashpoint awoke to see him lie down, but paid him no mind. He was just the Enforcer. Just a tool, probably running some scout mission for Emerald. Who cares? Nightfall was about to take over the city. She rose to her paws and stretched, her jaws spreading wide and her body rippling.

Emerald heard movement from below in the alley. She jumped off the patio table and peered over the side of the building into the alley. She saw that Flashpoint had awoken and the tip of Prowl's tail showed from under the dumpster, but didn't saw anything. She turned back around and walked back over to the patio table. She lied down on it, going back to watching the sun sink into the waters. She felt calm, knowing that only she could be up here watching the sun. Oddly, she took pleasure in knowing she was seperate from the rest of the world, if not only a little bit. As the sun sank lower she began to think about the humans she once lived with, and, like every sunset, tried to remember the route back home. She rested her head on her front paws, the orange and pink sunset reflecting in her deep green eyes.

Flashpoint finished her stretch and looked to the sky. Had she not been in the alley, yes, perhaps it would be a very beautiful sunset to watch. She looked back towards the others before hopping down from her crate to the grimy concrete. Supressing another yawn, she trotted out into the sidewalk

Chance's powerful figure trotted through the bitter cold of the evening. A large blanket of clouds blocked the sun that shone above him, but that didn't matter. The real thing was not food or shelter, but satisfaction. Chance felt the need to move in the shadows and meet someone like him. Maybe, he was a one of a kind, who could possibly be like him? Likewise. Chance perked his ears, then heard a crash. It didn't make him jump, just flinch. Metal scraping metal. Ugh. Then he saw his opportunity to get some kicks out of this dreary atmosphere.

Chance jumped skillfully yet elegently onto a dumpster followed by a jump onto a aparament window side. He saw the cats below, and grew interested. He had clearly been seen by the others. His tail balancing the male as he turned and along the buildings sides lower and closer to them. He cocked his head to one side, concentrated on the cats.

Emerald's ears pricked immiedatly at the sound. She stood, and leaped gracefully down from the patio table. She peered over the edge again to see a male on top of a dumpster, looking out onto the others. Emerald hissed lowly, only enough for her alone to hear. She did a little trick of hers by going half way down the ladder then jumping silently onto a ledge behind the dumpster, the male most likely stll not noticing her. She then leaped from the ledge and knocked the tresspasser off the dumpster and down onto the hard cold alley floor. As she now stood high on the dumpster, the tresspasser and her other gangmates were on the alley floor.
"Who are you tresspasser?" Emerald hissed fiercely, her face angry and her body in a position to strike at him like a knife.

Prowler suddenly looked up in time from his own dumpster to watch the newcomer land on the ground, he stood, arching his body and hissing deeply, loud enough to wake those light sleepers. "Answer her, tresspasser!"

Flashpoint heard the hisses and turned back into the Sleeping Alley. When she assesed what was going on, she herself took up a fearsome pose, her claws scraping the dingy concrete.

The cold floor hit Chance's face hard, he grunted in pain before lifting his head. His vision first to the leader than to her pack.. "Calm your little worlds out. I do not mean harm." He reponsed and then realising what he had done. His throat was dry and he forced himself to gulp. The slender yet strong body stood his tail thicker than before

"My name is Chance, Im a loner. I live in this city." He called to the lead female. A certain something to his voice. Chance gulped again as much as he would like to think that he could escape the chances of that where growing thinner and thinner, every time he spoke. Maybe he would just be quiet next time he taunted in his head.

Emerald raised an eyebrow at his first comment, finding it slightly amusing how regret flashed through his eyes almost right after he had said it. It was clear in her eyes she was finding it amusing as well. She decided to have a little fun. "And exactly who do you think your talking to, Chance?" She replied to his first comment, pretending to be angry about it to see what he would do.

Cookie Dough and Scooter awoke to Prowler's hissing, though Cookie's eyelids remained only half open. Scooter and Cookie looked over to the newcomer, taking up a threatening pose. They then saw Emerald's eyes and knew she was beginning to toy with him. They both slightly grinned, but kept up their poses.

Chance's ears perked forward at the sound of another cat. He caught her glace and looked away but then back to her again. "Me?.." He said. The brute tail flicked behide him as he broke out in a small grin. "You havent told me your name yet" He accounced.

Yes. Chance your dead now. He told himself again. But being without company, rules or an alpha. Had seriously changed his thoughts. Chance searched though the faces of the different cats surrounding him.

Emerald gave a mischievious grin. "And what makes you think I have to tell you?" She said in a teasing tone. She spotted Cookie Dough and Scooter grinning slightly at the back, and flashed them a silent and almost unnoticable warning to keep acting. They both caught it, and nodded very little. They managed to wipe the small grin off their faces and look fiercer than before.

Chance raised a curious eyebrow to her. "Well, you could tell me. But that would ruin the fun wouldn't it." He said keeping a straight face. He felt he was walking a fine line, but that didnt stop him. It never did. He sensed that she was not the only cat enjoying this interrogation as it were.

"Is being on the borderline of death fun in your mind?" Emerald asked, another mischievious and smug grin on her face. Her body was not as tense anymore, and was actually quite relaxed. The cat could do nothing, both because he was on her territory and that he couldn't escape her mind games. She was impressed however how he had the guts to be smug right back to her, and have a sense of humor even in a threatening situation. Her tail swished a little behind her in an amused manner.

Chance eyes sparked as the sun moved from behind a cloud then to another. "Fun, i would say that." He told her a grin on his face. "It is Intriguing to see what happens next." Chance noticed her body langague which did put his mind to rest, slightly. " But i don't intend on dying yet." He added.

Emerald became slightly more serious. "I see, and what makes you so sure I'm not going to kill you right now?" Emerald asked, raising her eyebrow yet again and the grin fading a little bit.

Chance had already sensed the females mood swing. And therefore so did he. "I would already be dead." He said just as serious but with that his muscle tensed, not to obvious. Chance's ears flicked waiting for a reponse.

Emerald nodded, then turned her head to the alley wall, beginning to think. After about a minute of silence, she turned her gaze back to Chance, and studied him for another minute. Then, she finally spoke. "Are you looking to join the Scratch Sisters or are you just a spy or tresspasser?" Emerald asked, her eyes burning into his, probing his mind.

Chance watched the leader and lowered his head slightly, his ears leaned forward. As he was Listening to the list of dicisions. He had already made up his mind, without hesitation Chance nodded. "The first one." He told her and the pack.

Fashpoint hissed deeply at such a proposal, the fur raising along her spine. This had to be one of Emerald's jokes! Allowing this male into the clan... Why, she could smell trouble on him!

Prowler, however, remined indifferent to all of this. The fur lowered on his back somewhat to Emerald's invintation, his ears pressed forward. So, this was how it was done in times of plenty. His tail whisked once.

Emerald nodded slowly. "Okay then, what rank do you wish to be Chance? Time tracker, stray tracker, gatherer, seeker, scratch, enforcer, ... or perhaps mother?" Emerald asked, a grin at the end. "And by the way, my name is Emerald, and the gang Hands are Scooter and Cookie Dough." Emerald nodded her head over to them both to point them out. Cookie did her kitten like mreeewwww sound, while Scotter just flashed a quick smile, not enjoying being put on the spot.

Cougar and Hummer were at the very, very back of the alley, aware of what was happening but not really paying much mind to it. Well, Hummer wasn't anyway. Cougar was quite pissed about it. Hummer just stayed his high self, wachign Cougar spaz beside him.

Flashpoint lost her cool. "Emerald! You seriously are going to allow this disrespectful fleabag into our clan?!" she hissed, her tail writhing angirly in the air as it rose high.

Emerald gave Flash a brutal glare. She then leaped off the dumpster and knifed her way forwards like a angry, ghostly blur, getting right in Flash's face, her glare still as fiery as ever.
"Want to say that again, Flash?" Emerald challenged her, looking very frightening to any cat that would have seen her at that point, big or small. She shoved her backwards with a headbutt, not enough to knock her down but enough to shove her harshly and violently. She got back in her face again, her eyes burning into hers like wildfire. Cats knew better then to mess with Emerald, and Flash had just made a huge mistake.

Cookie and Scooter turned their faces to the both of them, slight panic at the sight of Emerald possibly about to whoop Flash's ass. Cougar grinned at the sight of the possible fight, wanting to see Emerald in battle action, since it was always fun to watch Emerald get mad and draw blood. Hummer remained emotionless, though was staring at the both of them with a blank look.

Flashpoint lowered her ears, and was about to back down after the headbutt. However, the sight of Chance made her descion change. She had to prove herself.
She stared straight into her eyes, not backing down. "You seriously are going to allow this disrespectful fleabag into our clan?" she hissed in an challenging voice, her ears erect on her head.

Prowler held a shocked gasp rather badly.

Chance turned to face the female which had insulted him. A low growl escaped from his lips. But Emerald had already taken charge of his arguement. Any smart male would know not to get involved with such things. Chance opened his mouth to reflate anything more violent then already.

He observed as Emerald laid on a headbutt. Chance didn't move from where he stood. This was one of the most unless position he had ever been in. He had a idea. Wait no maybe not. He didnt feel like risking himself being the target. His eyes carefully placed on Flashpoint. "Bite me Whiskers." He said loud enough to hear by most of the clan.

Flashpoint bolted over to him like a bullet on steroids. He bit deeply into his cheek, raking her claws against everything she could possibly reach.

Prowler leapt from his dumpster and hissed at him, watching fur and blood fly.