My arrival at the hideout caused quite a stir. I had to introduce myself to almost everyone there, most of whom greeted me warmly, except for two: a girl about my age who just glared at me and said something about hoping I got a furball, and a little calico werecat around ten who took one look at me, grinned devilishly, and bolted. Yet when he disappeared, I heard two giggling voices rather than one fading to inaudibility...

I had the hardest time remembering everyone's name. The hairball girl was a squirrel shifter by the name of Myra, and I heard quite a few names that were even more strange: Jorn, a gray tom. Paningua, Jorn's father. Bav...something. Bavmorda, I think-an unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat. Cortana, a black-and-silver queen who tried to flirt with me until Zetta showed up. Trachiniae (everyone just called him Trash behind his back), a white tom with heterochromia. Halcyon, a dark brown tom. The rest just sort of blended together. I could understand why Macavity was so irritated, if he always had to deal with keeping track of all of these. It'd be enough to drive anyone insane...

I spent the next while getting myself acquainted with the routine: magic lessons with Macavity and Gian in the morning (something I had a particular aptitude for), general training in the afternoon (something I wasn't nearly as good at), and time to do pretty much whatever until the next morning (when I wasn't sleeping, I was usually blowing stuff up with magic). I also spent as much time as I could investigating those two calico kids. I had gotten their names from my observations: the boy was Mungojerrie, and the girl (who I assumed was his sister, as their voices were the only way for me to tell them apart) was named Rumpelteazer. They both had very thick Cockney accents, which surprised me if they had been at the hideout as long as it seemed they had.

But they weren't the only ones getting themselves into trouble. Zetta and I were good at it as well. She walked up to me one evening with an evil grin, and flat-out stated:

"Let's go take a look at the TARDIS."

My jaw dropped. "You mean...disturb the Doctor? Are you sure that's a good plan?"

She just shrugged. "It was 'Jerrie's idea," she admitted. "He and his sister will be with us."

"Great," I muttered. "Just what I need. To babysit a couple of ten-year-olds." I sighed. "All right then. Let's go."

The notorious couple of kittens appeared out of nowhere and tackle-hugged me, grinning from ear to ear. We all shifted to our respective Animal forms and formed a sort of caravan through the halls. What a sight we must have been: three Cats, two of whom were identical and obviously kittens, with a peregrine falcon flying low above them. Finally we emerged from the building and crept towards the blue police box in the growing darkness. One of the kittens, however, got overexcited and pounced ahead of the group, thus reaching the open door of the TARDIS first. "It's big in 'ere!" the kitten, who I then identified as Mungojerrie, shouted, causing me to frantically shush him.

Of course, he ignored me and uttered one of the scariest things you will ever hear a little kid say in their lives:

" 'Ey, whot does this do?"

CRUNCH!

Rumpleteazer looked at me, wide-eyed. "Tha' didn' sound good," she said softly. "Oi'd bettah go 'elp 'im..."

"Stay with us," I told her, picking up the pace. "Let's go see how much your brother broke the TARDIS."

When we reached the door, it turned out Mungojerrie had hit the switched that closed it...on his tail. Whether the door or his tail were broken, I wasn't sure.

"Unlike Screwloose, he is not ready to be on his own," Zetta muttered, studying the situation. "Tail's fractured. Can you heal it?"

"I can if I can get the door open," I told her. "Hey, 'Jerrie? Could you hit that switch again?"

"Oi can' foind it!" he complained. "Ge' me outta 'ere...moiy tail 'urts!"

"Got that," I grumbled, and studied the door. "W'peh." Open. The door seemed to listen, and folded itself so it was no longer on Mungojerrie's tail. "You've got a fractured tail," I told him. "I can heal it, but you're going to have to hold still." The kitten obliged long enough for me to hold a hand over the break. "Qe irisva," I said softly as the kink straightened itself. "How's that feel?"

"Thanks!" 'Jerrie said with a grin. "Whot was tha' command ya used on the door?"

I repeated the incantation. "It means 'open,'" I told him. "An Ancient Egyptian spell."

Another voice joined us: one I recognized, but hadn't anticipated.

"What are you doing in here?" the General demanded. "You could very well have broken the TARDIS."

"I know, I know," I told him. "Ask 'Jerrie here."

"S-sorry, sah," the young calico mumbled into his tail. "Won't 'appen again..."

"Go on, get some sleep," the General told us. "You'll need it."