Ah, yes. Those movies, shows, or books where the main character is forced to join up with the "bad guys" to save themselves against this bigger threat. Most stories follow the path where it's always good vs bad, but ever since that first book came out where they joined forces it seems like every single book afterward is like that, doesn't it? It gets really boring when you read the same thing over and over, but sometimes, even through the cliche of the book, you continue to read it just because the plot is good and your cup of tea. Now, while this may be common in stories, how often does it happen in real life where you're paired up with someone you really don't appreciate because saying "hate" is a strong and overused word now, so it's better to say "don't appreciate" for now.

Perhaps you were forced to work together in a group project in school and neither of you really wanted to work with one another but you both wanted a grade. Maybe it's a project for work that has you with people you find impossible to get along with but bite your tongue anyhow. If it's something deeper and maybe more dangerous, like taking in the enemy side into your own when you know perfectly well they might be deciphering you - like that's never happened to anyone before.

Do you risk and take that gamble, but it's probably even worse when you know perfectly well your enemy has no intentions of listening or cooperating, and will just wait for the right moment to strike?

X X X

"Speckleflash, she's the cat that killed Sleekfeather! Why did she bring Firepaw to us unharmed?!" demanded Beechpaw, not taking his lethal gaze from the calico. Her sleepy eyes showed no hostility or anger, and each snowflake that touched her made her flinch. Mothpaw eyed her paws the most, seeing chunks of dirt and mud stain the white under her. There wasn't any blood, and there wasn't a trail of scarlet that followed her every step. Speckleflash raised an eyebrow, looking hesitant, debating whether she should attack the rogue.

Meanwhile, Firepaw and his family gathered in a huge embrace, ignoring the rogue that saved his life. Only once did the tom glance over and meet eyes with her, but it never lasted more than a split second before he went back. Leopardpaw, even though she claimed snow got in her eyes, sobbed and cried, sniffing her brother all over. The rest of the family kept a tight circle, refusing to let any of the three wild-spirited kits out - not that any of them had a desperate need to break away.

"Explain yourself!" Beechpaw snarled, nearly lunging at her had not Mothpaw snatched his tail between her sharp teeth. Recoiling, he continued, "What are you planning to do, kill us?!

"Hold your tongue," she begged, hissing more softly, "She could be one of those cats Nettlestar mentioned! Plus, she killed Sleekfeather without much trouble! I don't want to see you go up against her in a fight!" Mothpaw heard a softer part of her mind speak, the voice belonging to a silver kit in the nursery that was naive and clueless. She squeezed her eyes shut as snow fluttered down, clinging to her pelt and shone like stars. The voice disappeared, and she was relieved to sense Beechpaw relaxing.

The lazy rogue said nothing other than letting out long yawns and exhausted grunts, clearly disinterested in the Clans. A wave of disgust and utter bewilderment spread through the cats when she dropped to her paws in the cold snow, brushing her cheek against the icy flakes. As if she was curled in a warm ball in a safe nest, the rest of her body dropped and immediately shifted into a sleeping position, suiting herself comfortable in the snow, quickly closing her eyes to sore away. The wind and snow howled in the distance of another incoming storm, carrying snow as large as raindrops their way and pushing against their fur, seeping through the wet tufts of pelt for the exposed, pink flesh underneath.

Mothpaw's teeth chattered and she huddled with Beechpaw, the two siblings sharing any source of heat they could muster. Speckleflash padded toward the rogue and leaned down, shielding the foe with her body as she eyed the calico. The rest of the apprentices inched closer and closer when their parents weren't looking, hoping to catch a glimpse of the cat who randomly fell asleep in the middle of a snowstorm. Firepaw was the only apprentice that didn't constantly look over his shoulder for the hawk's eye. He marched forward each time his previous lecture finished and came back for another round of Lionfur and Tigerfrost berating him for suddenly disappearing.

Where she stood, the calico was sound asleep, unaffected by her surroundings or feeble nest she slept on. Speckleflash prodded her with her cream paw and the cat didn't budge. Hailbreeze and the other warriors shrugged their shoulders, unsure what to do with the strange cat. Beechpaw's gaze never left, no matter how hard Mothpaw tried to pull his attention to her or Honeypaw. She frowned and held her breath, deciding waiting for the rogue to get up herself would be better.

"Do we just take her back?" questioned Speckleflash, doubtful. "This could be a trick to get us to bring her into the heart of camp."

"If it was, then why hasn't she done so already? And can we really trust his word that this lazy excuse for a cat killed Sleekfeather?" Maplereef accused, casting a menacing look in Beechpaw's direction.

"I thought you were smarter than this," yawned the rogue, getting up to stretch. Her jaws opened and she let out a yowl as her back arched, shaking away the cramps from her nap. Blinking, the rogue's amber eyes shimmered, spotting Firepaw instantly. She gave a small dip of her head and turned to Speckleflash, the lazy look on her face returning. "Yes... I do remember striking down a pretty she-cat. Too bad we were on opposite sides of this war. I think we could've found something to bond over."

"Wait, do you mean that kind of lo---"

"No, not that kind," corrected the rogue, extinguishing any suspicions and rumors before they started. Whisking her tail in the snow, she scanned the cats that greeted her. "I am simply doing what I'm told, that's all."

"Who is telling you what?" challenged Speckleflash. "And so my apprentice speaks truth." Beechpaw's face dropped in disgust but the warrior paid no attention, flicking her tail impatiently.

"That's a little personal, don't you think?" The rogue stretched her limbs, circling as if she was going to fall back asleep. Mothpaw examined her calico pelt, the creamy fur blending in the snow with splotches of orange and black dumped on that white pelt.

Beechpaw took a gamble. "Are you one of those three cats Nettlestar warned us about?" To this, the she-cat's ear flicked in interest. The apprentice forced his fur to lie flat, and Mothpaw peered at the rogue one last time. "Are you?"

"It depends on the names you were told," she replied, swiftly cleaning her ear in the blizzard. "Nettlestar knew plenty of cats; there isn't anything that says I'm not one of those three. Give it your best shot, Beechpaw."

"How do you know my name?!" he roared, fur bristling. Speckleflash stepped in for her apprentice, puffing her chest out in defense. The she-rogue hesitated, eyeing the furious deputy with keen interest for a fleeting moment before examining her chances. Both the MeadowClan and CinderClan cats circled the calico like a swarm of vultures, keeping their cage tight. The rogue's fur began to rise in a challenge, preparing herself to go for the weakest opening.

Mothpaw blinked away the snow in her eyes and stepped out, her feet crunching with each movement. What did he say their names were again? Jaggedstone, Soulfrost, and Cedarsky. Fear touched her heart and cast a dark shadow over her frightful, blue eyes. In the center of their circle, trapped as a mutant and monster, was a vicious beast that had her sights planted on a skittish CinderClan warrior.

It wouldn't take long before the rogue got bored and leapt across the field, dropping in like a hawk to snatch away a puny mouse.

"What I don't get is you're all acting like I'm the enemy when I just saved one of your cats. Shouldn't that be enough for an exchange of words?" she questioned, twisting about, hostile eyes rooting into the CinderClan cat. Her hackles rose against the rogue, letting out mixed emotions of fear and hatred. The rogue shook her head and took one step forward and whirled on another CinderClan cat, who didn't share the same reaction as her clanmate.

"Look around you," observed Speckleflash, "you can't get out. If you manage to break through, which is highly possible, there'd be little chance of you escaping with so many cats ready to fight."

"Is this condition? Picking out bones and scraps from prey? I'm not any better than you, I'm sure of it, but at least I ate something this morning. How many of you got a shrew? Or did you skip another meal for the sake of a loved one?" One by one, the calico locked eyes with each cat, confirming her answer and suspicions. She sighed and returned to Speckleflash, and based on her snarky grin and pride, Mothpaw guessed she could pick apart who ate by mere reactions. "Look at yourselves, how do you expect to fight against a hoard of rogues when you can't even face me?"

"You don't know how a battle will turn out; it doesn't take much to alter the tides and secure victory," Speckleflash growled, unleashing her claws. "All you know when you step into battle is who you're opponent is and who you'll stand for."

"Sleekfeather, wasn't it?" countered the rogue, extending a paw toward Beechpaw and Mothpaw. "They saw how easily I came in and killed that cat. Give a cat a certain rank and suddenly they're stronger, but it is a foolish game to bestow a title to a cat hardly worthy of lifting a paw."

"Sleekfeather was a deputy that I strive to be, flea-brain!" Speckleflash roared. Lionfur hesitated and opened his jaws to speak, but his mate sharply elbowed him to keep quiet. He let out a low growl, storing his energy and strength for something else. "If you're so sure she was weak, then face me!"

"Absolutely not," remarked the rogue with a flick of her tail. Kicking a mound of snow, she said, "Don't you need your strength for something else? Perhaps fighting or hunting? If you think I'm scared to fight you, you're mistaken." To prove her point, the rogue rose onto her backpaws and came crashing down with renewed strength, eyes blazing with a burning desire to fight the deputy standing in front of her. Her strength overpowered the laziness and sleepiness that once clouded her eyes and Mothpaw stumbled back, heart twisting into the size of an acorn. Speckleflash and the others shifted and bared their fangs, bracing themselves for combat.

"If you strike, know that we will all attack you," threatened Speckleflash, pulling at straws and dried grass. "You will most likely die if you engage."

"That's a gamble and a risk worth taking," replied the rogue without care. "I don't trust the cats I've grown up with, but I trust I'm strong enough to hold my ground. Shatteredstar and Nettlestar did it and so can I." Then her eyes glinted with a mischief look and she sneered, taunting, "And you act as if I'm the only one who doesn't know where you live. If I don't return home, it won't be long until that swarm of cats comes back to kill you for once."

"So why didn't you continue fighting after Nettlestar fell?"

"Perhaps it was because I was tired of always swooping in and saving cats that I hardly cared about. You did murder two of the closest cats I call family, after all." The rogue glanced in the direction of MeadowClan camp and then swirled around, looking at the gray sky as snowflakes rained down. "But I'm also bored and tired beyond explanation. Believe me when I say I won't hesitate to kill you, but believe me when I say I'm willing to work with you."

"What?!" demanded everycat in the snowy clearing.

"You heard me," she answered with a dip of her head. "There are two groups of cats, Clans? They're left and waiting for you. Take a look at your situation. You're starving and can't go out without a blizzard drowning you. You have to train those apprentices, but you can't with the snow and this... 'missing cat' problem."

"Do you know where they are?!" Another cat hissed, almost breaking their circle.

"I only talk to the cats I find helpful for my ideals and goals. Like it or not, if you want to ever get your cats back, you need to go now before sickness, starvation, or something else comes and collects your clanmates." There was truth in her eyes and stance as she spoke, and the clan cats exchanged unsure and doubtful looks of hope and distrust. The apprentices looked swayed - except for the CinderClan apprentices that kept a distance from the murderer.

She has a point, Mothpaw thought, dread lingering in her stomach, almost making her want to throw herself on her side and hurl.

"In my group of cats, everyone knows where you live and knows you're no in fighting condition. We could easily come in and kill you and that saves a lot of trouble for me. I'd rather spend that time asleep and avoiding them as much as possible," she said with a flick of her tail, getting back into a sleeping position in the cold snow. Her lazy eyes died and the ferocity she summoned left her system in a matter of seconds.

"You sound like you don't like them, so why do you even spend time with them?" inquired Speckleflash. "And even if we are standing on bones, I'm sure there's got to be some cats that have enough strength to push through and let your blood flow out of your body and paint the red snow."

"Speckleflash!" snapped the she-cats, fur bristling with anger as the apprentices burst out laughing.

"We're the same cat. You look better with cats you know rather than strangers. No matter how much you guys will swear on empty skies and promise, you're never going to fully and truly accept me as one of you." When Speckleflash began to protest, the rogue held up a paw to halt the conversation. "Don't give me excuses. The kindest and sweetest cat wouldn't even call me one of their own. Would you, Mothpaw?"

She jumped at the sound of her name and shook her head to quickly answer and then go back to hiding behind her brother. Satisfied, the rogue lifted her head and awaited the deputy's response. Beechpaw slipped away and attached himself to her side instead, glowering at the calico with hate for calling his sister out. Pushing the nerves down again took effort, and the silver she-cat crumbled like the snow.

"One thing you should've learned by now," commented the rogue. "Words and thoughts are black and white. You say empty vows and promises through the mouth but in the mind? They're just there to get away, turning your back. Let's say I did and over time you'll accept me, but that doesn't mean the moment something bad happens someone will blame me. No matter how a good a cat is, they'll never trust me."

"...You want us to follow you back to CinderClan camp," Sparrowblaze mentioned. "That's what it is, isn't it?"

She nodded. "I'll lend you my strength and knowledge if you promise you'll let me take control. You know that waiting has proved nothing, so do it now."

"And if we die?" countered Sparrowblaze.

"Then you die, it's as simple as that." The rogue shrugged and licked her paw, cleaning herself. "What do you call it, anyway? Dying like a warrior? You definitely aren't dying like that if you wait for the storm to come."

Mothpaw touched her forehead against her mentor's side, breathing in his warm scent. He stiffened and cast a wary look at her, briefly grazing the top of her pelt with his tail. She gave the rogue a cautious look and said, "Aren't you tired of this? I know I'm cowardly and can't stand my ground in a fight for the life of me, but even though she'll stab us in the end, won't it be worth it if we all unite to get our cats back?"

"That's mouse-brained," Speckleflash told herself, shaking her head, letting out angered huffs. "Charging into a battle we know will kill us in the end."

"I wouldn't mind doing that," a cat spoke up. Heads turned toward Tigerfrost in disbelief. She brushed her mate aside and repeated her statement, firmly. "I wouldn't mind going into a battle that will result in my death. If I come out alive, then that makes me stronger. If I die, then I know it was a warrior's sacrifice. Besides, I have some friends I haven't seen in moons." A smile crossed her face and her fur rose in a mock duel. "I'd love to see if I've gotten weaker over time."

"That sounds like an agreement to me." The rogue got to her paws and trotted over to a Tigerfrost, barely reaching the warrior's height. That didn't bother her and she nodded, causing the orange she-cat to back away, distrust bubbling up the second the calico got too close. Without heeding Speckleflash's warning or objections, the rogue slipped over and marched towards MeadowClan camp.

With a wave of her tail, she said, "Then you better start preparing. I plan to take a long nap before we go."