[ti]Open[/ti]Pestilence and Plague

[LupTacco]

"Hey, are you... eh, you never are. Zephyr, come talk with me," Belial slid between two steel bars of the fence around the Alliance hideout, tapping the brown-furred tom on the shoulder to get his attention. The friendly tom tilted his head questioningly, but didn't speak up as he got up to follow the pale ginger tom, abandoning his game of 'chase the ladybug'. "Zephyr," Belial began, trotting along the perimeter of the decrepit house, "Do you ever worry that perhaps... these other Alliance cats, they don't take you serious at all, do they?" He glanced at his peer through the corner of his eye. The slim tom shrugged.

"I dunno, I guess I never thought about it. I know I'm not as good at.... um, fighting as the rest of you are, but I want to prove myself, too, if those clan cats are as bad as-" Zephyr began to reply, but was cut off by a groan from the fiery tom, whose curled ears flicked back for a moment. "Did I say something wrong?" Belial stopped, turning to face Zephyr with an impatient sigh and a shake of his head.

"Zephyr, Zephyr... you don't really believe the clan cats are the best target, do you? We've barely gained anything from our little 'war'. In fact, we lost our founder. The older ones don't like to talk about it much," Belial explained carefully, "But I think I've figured out the best opportunity for us in this town. All we have to do is- uh..." He trailed off, squinting at something behind Zephyr.

"What?" Zephyr turned around just as Belial's tail fluffed up twice its normal size and he dashed off. "Hey, wait-!" Zephyr could barely get a word out before seemingly dozens of black rats streamed around his legs; thankfully, he leapt up before they could nip at him, clinging to a bench and watching them rush by and split apart into individuals again. Some slipped into the Alliance house, some darted into the hedges behind it and who knows where after that, and others ran out towards the active homes where twolegs and housecats lived together. His spine tingled with dread as Belial reappeared from a hole in one of the stone garden walls.

"What... was that..?" Both toms stood in stunned silence, neither sure what to make of what just happened.

[Fireflake]

Vulture flattened his dark ears and lowered himself closer to the rooftop he'd been clinging to. It was an excellent vantage point to spy on others, like Belial and Zephyr in the distance, and kept him safe from most dangers while he sunbathed. All upsides, really. Especially so, he thought, as he saw the writhing black mass flood into the street where his fellow alliance cats had been. His mouth fell open. What an entrance...

Vulture's paws tingled as he heard the pattering and squeaking. It was a sound almost as familiar as birdsong to the tom, and just as distinctive. Rats. Rats that were... charging into the Alliance's home. His short claws unsheathed. Was Buzzard in there? Was Chocolette? The tom tried unsuccessfully to knead at the rooftop slabs, faced as he was often these days with the dilemma of whether or not to return to the den. He soon decided that his siblings were skilled fighters, and would be able to defend themselves against prey, if there was even a need to do so. And the rest of the cats there? Well, they could die.

The tom glanced back at Belial and Zephyr as they re-emerged. He’d avoided Belial for most of his life, but now his nephew was edging back into his consciousness and a friendship with Zephyr seemed unusual. Vulture decided he would have to get closer later on. But not right now. Scrabbling to his paws, the tom darted down into the nearby yard. He'd spent the last half-moon at least trying fruitlessly to catch one particular type of prey, and there was no way he could do that if the rats scared them all away. He’d find out why the creatures were here some other time.