IT. IS. HERE. Jeez, I so don't want to write. Uggh. Only two more chapters left, about.

The new patient proved to be more than a handful. His 'mates', most of them anyway, seemed to be used to his antics, seemingly forgetting to watch if he tried something, and for the most part being perfectly polite to Nurse Graves. All twenty-one or so of the other patients refused to stay near Macavity, so Graves gave him and his company two rooms on the unoccupied wing of the ward. Demeter especially would shriek loudly if Macavity was within a five meter radius of her (which he was often), even if she couldn't see him. She more like felt him. However, the light haired woman was cordial to The Company when he wasn't with them, even talking to the four and sympathizing.

Her sister, Bombalurina, had a different reaction to Macavity. Every time he was close to her or Demeter, she would start to yell things so fast and so loud that they muddled together and the Nurse could only pick out certain words and phrases. Mostly she insulted him, with things like, "Jerk!" and "Asshole!" and "Cuntface!" The longest sentence Graves could decipher was, "You little whore, you go off being such a gentleman only to just break her, she'll never be the same ever again after what you and Griz did! I can't believe you would show your face around here again, do you know what I'm going to do to you once I get over there-" Before about seven nurses had to restrain the redhead, who looked like she was about to claw Macavity's eyes out. She and Munkustrap were the only ones he seemed to be afraid of.

In the early hours of a pleasant Thursday, the oldest patients were just waking up. Jellylorum, Jennyanydots, Skimbleshanks and for some reason Jemima was just going to bed.

There was a colossal BOOM that rocked the hospital ward, and everyone who wasn't already up was woken very rudely. There seemed to be only a second before there were sirens wailing around the hospital, helicopter blades churning the air with camera crews inside, patients screaming and crying and police officers roaming around asking questions. The entire wing Macavity and Co. resided in had a huge crater in it with thick purple smoke wafting up from the wreckage. Firefighters tried endlessly to enter, to search for bodies and recover evidence or anything they could salvage, but whenever they ran into the smoke there was a bouncing sound and they were flung out again, coughing.

Suddenly, Macavity's dry voice resounded around the property. "Greetings, citizens of London." There was a roar of confusion from the firefighters and other official people. "This is the mayor speaking. I'm floating above you in a rainbow hot air balloon."

Almost everyone who didn't know better looked up at the sky, which was clear except for the helicopters. "Just kidding, gotcha. I'm not really the mayor. I'm talking to you from inside the hospital ward, inside this nice purple smoke."

There was a muffled sound and everyone heard the stifled whimpering of another patient. Nurse Graves recognized it as one of Macavity's Company.

"I have here one of my mates. Zemie." Macavity laughed, turning it into a cough halfway through. "Damn smoke." He muttered.

"Anyway, she's gagged here, and tied to the leg of a bed, as the nursing staff was kind enough to provide me with some nice sturdy gauze." You could practically hear the smile in his voice. "I just thought I'd let you know so you can rescue her. You know, before the next one of my bombs goes off."

There was another muffled sound, before Macavity whined, "Damn, Cosmo!"

The male of The Company's voice came on. "Hi there, I'm Cosmo. I'd just like to say that in order so save her, just walk. Oof!"

Macavity's voice came on again. "Oh, Cosmo, you jokester." He gave a forced laugh. "No, run as fast as you can to save her, you puny humans! Run! Fast!" His voice was father away now. "Cosmo, you just ruined our fun. For that I'm going to have to whip you, and maybe I'll even-" The loudspeaker cut off abruptly.

The firefighters approached the purple smoke slowly. One ran in again, and was flung back out just like the other times. Another, presumably more smart, slowly walked in and didn't come back out. There was a shout of triumph and the others fallowed his lead.

When they came back out again, one was carrying Zeminabub in his arms. She flung her hand to her chest and proclaimed, "Oh, my savior!" before smiling nervously.

Another fireman was holding the lanky Macavity by the scruff of his neck, who was grinning widely, and Cosmo and the two other girls in The Company walked out by themselves.

X

The wing Macavity and Co. once stayed was closed for now, so they stayed under careful eyes in five padded rooms all to themselves. However, they came out into the cafeteria for meals, so Graves turned on one of the large TVs hanging on the wall and flicked through the news channels.

"Do you see what you did?" Each one of them was broadcasting something about the hospital, weather it be "Mysterious Explosion Uncovers Unexplained Patients at Thames Hospital" or "Mentally Disabled Patients at Thames Hospital Experiencing Same Extreme Delusion" or "Explosion Rocks News about Odd Patients at Thames". Whatever they were about, it always revolved around the patients and their 'delusion' or the unexplained explosion.

Macavity only grinned wider, while Bombalurina fumed quietly with a nurse holding her back. "It just means one thing." He said. "Now we won't be a secret. We'll be all over the news, and that's only one of the steps I have to take before I will be able to use the combined power of all the human minds in London. I will channel that power, until I rival even Bast. Then I will destroy that ungrateful catbitch and get all my magic back."

The Company looked the other way.