Chapter 14

There was actualy a reason for Hardcase's sour mood of late. She used to be the know-it-all, before Axorie came along. So when her self-image was displaced as the 'brain', she compensated by increasing her 'tough girl' aspect. Steetch still asked her for trivia information, but Freaky always asked Axorie for any answers he wanted now. Still, inside Hardcase was the same caring, loving, empathic young girl she had always been. That is why she was frusturated that she couldn't get the group to utilize their powers to help the defenseless, right wrongs, rescue damsels, fight evil, and stand proudly forth for truth and justice. So, she decided to go to her fallback position, and rescue cute cuddly creatures. She asked Axorie where the nearest cute, furry, lost, lonely, critter in need of a rescue was. Axorie told her about an outcast lynx kit, about 20 miles up into the hills. It was an outcast, and was sad and alone. Hardcase borrowed Steetch's personal anti-gravity unit, and flew off to the rescue.

"What is this huge cat-like object!" cried Freaky with alarm.

"Meet Mr. Bigfoot, the lynx..." Hardcase replied diffidently. "He lives here now, I rescued him because his pack rejected him, because of his polydactylism."

"Lynx don't live in packs," puzzled Freaky.

"Polydactyl Lynx do..." lied Hardcase.

"But- You said- er, oh never mind" sputtered Freaky, finaly realizing that Hardcase was pulling his chain. Mr. Bigfoot was a truely apt name for the creature, as it had so many toes on each foot (noone bothered to count them) that he couldn't get all four feet into a normal sized litterbox at the same time. They turned one of the unused bathtubs into a litterbox for him, and closed the shower curtain to reduce the spray of sand when he buried his waste. He was truely a large lynx, and if he rubbed his head against your hip unexpectedly, he was liable to knock you over. How did he get so big so fast? Was he ever that small to begin with? Hey, that isn't a lynx, that is a cougar! Mr. Bigfoot was silent as he padded about the secret fortress on his huge feet. often appearing suddenly and silently beside the various friends when they least expected him.

"Ahhh!" shreeked Hardcase, as he poked his head through the shower curtain. "Go away, Mr. Bigfoot, I am taking a shower here!" she scolded, begining to regret having rescued him. He poked his nose into an embarassing place in greeting, and then wandered off to molest someone else. Mr. Bigfoot really liked Axorie. She was wonderful at taking the time to pet him, and scratch him behind the ears, and stroke his long thick tail. Hey, get your mind out of the gutter. That isn't in the story codes. Anyway, he tolerated Freaky, and was indifferent of Steetch- mainly because Steetch could kick his ass, and had proved it, and Freaky could take care of himself too, causing sudden stalagmites to shoot up from the floor, or a strong gale to blow against Mr. Bigfoot, preventing him from springing, or a sudden pelting hailstorm or cloudburst to dampen Mr. Bigfoot's enthusiasm for the hunt. But it was all in play, and he had let Steetch win, not once unsheathing his claws. Good thing, to, that- If Mr. Bigfoot ever unsheathed his claws, it might take him several days to get them all untangled again.

Soon other rescued critters filled the fortress. A camel, three pot-bellied pigs, a goat, a porquipine, a diverse pack of dogs... "Enough!" cried Freaky, after almost sitting on the porquipine for the third time. "I will make a secret fortress for the animals, but they can't live here, with us! Ok, ok, Mr. Bigfoot can stay- but the rest have to move out!"