Toad & Xavier
Toad jumped from the back of the train and stuck to the fence on the side of the railway before he climbed over it and jumped from it to another building. Ha. No norm would be able to do what he did. Whistling now and pleased with himself, Toad leapt and made his way into the city proper, bouncing off the roofs of buildings and sticking as he walked across walls.
He dropped back down to the ground, walking past some shops and using his tongue and quick fingered hands to steal a few things. Hair dye. A long sleeved shirt. A new coat. Damn that weather bitch, she'd fried one of his favourite coats. He'd been soaking in water for weeks afterwards too, trying to get the salt off and encourage his skin to heal. He still had a scar running down the middle of his chest, a fan shaped spreading of fine lines that looked almost like a fern's outspread leaf. Damn her.
Mutants should be working together to make things different. Make things better. He didn't know if he believed in either Magneto or Xavier's vision. Both men were the same anyway. Users.
He started looking for somewhere he could hide.
Too late.
"It's a mutie!"
"Oh god, it's hideous!"
Toad's head snapped up and around as he crouched to leap and flee the scene. Again, too late. He went down fighting under a howling mob, spitting slime, tongue and body working to get him free. He left more then a few of the mob dead when a large man hauled him to his feet, eyes swelling shut and missing more then a few teeth. Someone had tied his mouth shut, disabling his tongue and noxious slime. Brown-green eyes glared hatred as the taller man shook him like a rat. Toad twisted to try and get his feet on the man's chest and kick straight through to the bigot's heart, but there were too many people for him to actually suceed.
It didn't seem to take long before all the normal humans were ready for a good old fashioned burning. Toad struggled, bucking and twisting as they started to bring him closer to the flames.
"You're gonna die, you f*cking mutie scum," a voice laughed in his ear.
"Die screaming, like my sister did when some filthy mutie set a fire in her apartment building."
Toad stared at the flames as tv crews gathered. The police gathered around the outside of the mob didn't seem too willing to risk their lives for a mutant. He closed his eyes for a moment as one of the men started to rant about purity
Xavier rubbed his temples and pushed away from his desk. Idly, he turned the television on.
What he heard made him press the button to get an X-man to come see him right away.
"I'm here in Central Park, at what was a normal Friends of Humanity rally, but it seems to have escalated into something that the people runnning it could not have foreseen. Indeed, the speakers who had been speaking have been pushed into the background while a man who calls himself 'Caleb' has taken charge of proceedings. Police are watching on the outskirts, seeminly unable to intervene as a bonfire is being built near the middle of the park. They're pulling branches off the trees to make it, and they seem to have a reason for building it. Excuse me sir, what's going on?"
A close up of a middleaged man, his face twisted with hate.
"A mutie came by. He killed some people but we're gonna burn him now, make him pay! All freaks will pay for what they done to us!"
"Can we get a close up of the bonfire? Yes?"
A zoomed in shot, obviously from a helicopter, the noise patchy and broken up by the sound of motors. The bonfire was being lit, a few men on the stage. One was screaming to the crowd, whipping them into a further frenzy. A smaller figure was being held, obviously unwillingly, reflected light from the bonfire spilling across them all.
"We have identification on the mutant, we think! He has been tentavily identified as the mutant Toad, a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants!"
Xavier frowned. Toad? He should be dead. But no one deserved to die like this, burned alive for the pleasure of other's hatred.
Toad bucked and squirmed, breath coming in short gasps. God, he'd even go back to Magneto now. Just dear God, let him not burn and he'd do anything! He could feel his skin drying, even this far away from the fire, arms twisted cruelly behind his back. God, get him out of this! Satan, I'll even deal with you, just don't let me burn!
Storm
Storm heard the little alert, and got up from her desk, where she'd been makring some essays. She headed for the Professor's office.
"You called, professor?"
Xavier & Toad
Xavier directed her attention to the tv.
"It seems that your lightning strike did not kill Toad like we had thought."
"We're gonna see this filthy mutie burn today! For we are the pure!"
"YEAH!"
"We are the inheritors of this earth!"
"YEAH!"
"And we are gonna make sure it stays OURS!"
The mob went berserk, people pushing forward to swarm at the stage.
Toad leaned back, eyes panicked. God, he was gonna burn! Sweet Christ!
"I think that despite who he is, he is still a mutant and I also think that no one deserves to die like he will if we do not step in," Xavier said softly.
"Would you go collect him in the Jet please?"
Storm
"Of course, Professor. Should I... should I take Logan?"
Storm looked ready to leave.
Xavier
"I think you will find him coming out of the medlabs," Xavier said.
"Thank you, Ororo. I know this would be hard for you."
Storm
"Not a problem," Storm replied softly.
She left the office and went and found Logan.
"Professor needs us to go pick up Toad."
Logan
"Say that again," Logan said slowly as he turned his head to look at her.
"I thought you just said that Chuck wants us to go pick up *Toad*? This would be the little slimeball that spat on Jean and then almost killed ya?"
Storm
Storm nodded.
"Apparently he's not dead. And a bunch of mutant haters are about to kill him, and the Professor says that everyone deserves a chance."
Logan
Logan growled and turned to go back down so they could get in the Jet.
"I won't be that sad if we're too late though."
Storm
Storm didn't answer, but she agreed with him whole heartedly.
They reached the Jet and she fired it up, and soon they were off.
Logan & Toad
Logan watched as they flew over New York before starting to settle near Central Park.
Toad grunted and kicked out wildly with his bound feet, shaking his head in denial as he was lifted and moved towards the fire. He knocked one man off his feet and then he was being held near the flames, hair begining to scorch.
"For today, we do make ourselves a little cleaner, by purging this mutie filth from our midst!" The speaker howled.
The mob screamed back at him in agreement.
Storm
Storm's eyes went white as she focused on the couds above. Suddenly rain started to fall, putting out the fire as she landed a safe distance away.
Logan & Toad
Logan ran down the ramp and started towards where he could see two men holding a still struggling Toad.
The bound mutant turned his face to the sky, nearly sobbing with relief. Then he saw Logan and resumed fighting as best he could. Crunchsnap went the gag between his teeth and he opened his mouth to extend his tongue, using it to trip one of the men holding him then, then to snap the other man's neck. He hawked and then spat with accuracy into the speaker's face.
"F*ck yew all! F*cking let go orf me, yew bastards!"
Storm
Storm focused and brought lightning strikes down, carefully missing the crowd, but close enough to have them run off.
Logan & Toad
Logan reached out and scratched the hardened slime off the speaker's face with a claw. The man gasped for breath, coughing hard.
"Beat it, bub."
Toad looked up from where he was trying frantically to untie himself, cursing a blue streak as he did so.
"Oh, f*ck," he commented before Logan knocked him out with a punch.
Logan picked him up and lifted him over one shoulder. His sharp nose could smell that the other mutant was burnt, skin and hair. He jogged back to the Jet as quickly as he could and ran up the ramp.
Storm
Storm closed the ramp and started to take off.
"He ok?" she asked after a few moments of silence.
Logan
Logan looked the man over thoughtfully.
"He's burned, on the face and chest, got a nice couple of black eyes and a bloody lip...but he should be alright."
Storm
"Good, nothing Hank can't fix."
Storm continued to fly the Jet.
Logan & Toad
"Hmm."
Logan continued to stare at Toad, the mutant's face slack in unconsciosness. He stank too, like fear, smoke and sewer. Guess that answered where the little swamp thing had been hiding.
Toad groaned as he became conscious again.
"Ow, me sodding 'ead..."
Storm
Storm landed the Jet, and then shut down the controls, opening the ramp.
"I'll go alert Hank," she said, staying as far away from him as possible.
Toad & Logan
"The f*ck?" Toad muttered, opening dazed eyes.
"You stay there, bub, no sudden moves," Logan warned.
Toad glared at him, and then closed his eyes again.
"Someone kill me now, I've fallen into the white knight patrol's 'ands."
"Glad to oblige, so just keep talking, punk," Logan snarled.
"Yew lot 'ave already tried."
Toad cupped his groin and thrust his hips at Logan.
"So f*ck yew, yew hairy bastard."
Logan growled, looking away and Toad snickered.
Storm
"Hank? Another patient for you," Storm said, stepping into the medlabs.
Hank, Logan & Toad
Hank looked up.
"Oh? Who?"
He grabbed the bag he kept near the door for emergencies.
Logan watched Toad, who was sitting up gingerly and feeling his burned face. The amhibious mutant looked up and glared.
"Gotcher eyeful, mayte?!"
Storm
"Toad, he's in the Jet."
Storm started to lead him to the Jet.
Hank
"Toad, as in the Brotherhood of Mutants, Toad?" Hank asked with disbelief.
He followed Storm down the corridor.
"Oh my stars and garters..."
Storm
"About sums it up."
Storm let Hank go first into the jet.
Toad, Logan & Hank
"JAYSUS!"
Toad leapt as Logan's claws swiped at him, taunting having gone one step too far with the volatile mutant. He clung to the roof, then dived for the door, ducking and tumbling under Hank's arm, and extending his bo staff with a quick click. He used that to sweep Hank's feet out from under him and he coughed, then spat slime at Logan, hitting the other mutant in the face.
Logan snarled and clawed at his eyes, stopping for a moment. Toad grinned cockily at Storm, crouched with his bo staff ready.
"Yew know wot happens to a Toad when it's struck by lightening? *Not* the same thing that happens to everything else, yew white haired bitch."
Hank turned with a needle in his hand and Toad leapt onto the roof of the hanger, sliding his bo staff back into his belt. He made faces at them then slid behind a pylon.
Storm
"I think I'lljust go tell the Professor we have him."
Storm pointedly ignored Toad and then left the jet.
Toad, Hank & Logan
"Yeah, sod off!" Toad jeered.
Hank rubbed his jaw, then helped Logan get the last of the hardened slime off his face.
"Nasty little character," Hank observed.
"No good punk," Logan growled.
Toad snickered.
Storm
Storm knocked on the Professor's door.
"Professor? We have Toad."
Xavier
"Very good," Xavier said.
He came out of his office and started to wheel down to the hanger.
"Any unforeseen difficulties?"
Storm
"Besides the usual ones that come along with him being Toad and us being X-Men?"
Storm shrugged slightly.
"No, none at all."
Xavier, Hank, Toad & Logan
Xavier nodded slowly.
"I thought that may be the case."
They entered the hanger.
"Please come down so I can treat your wounds!" Hank said, looking up at the ceiling.
"I don't believe yew! Why shouldst I?" Toad shouted back, tone edged with hysteria.
"Yew almost killed me last time, yew lot! I don't want ter die! God has a fewking LOUSY sense of 'umour, sending yew lot ter save me from the flames!"
Logan snorted and turned to look at Xavier.
"Get him down?"
Xavier came to a stop near Hank and looked at Toad, where the mutant was hidden, clutching his arms around himself.
"Mortimer."
"DON'T FEWKING CALL ME THAT!"
Storm
Charming.
Why did we save him?
Storm watched, face expressionless.
Xavier & Toad
"We saved him because everyone deserves a chance, even people who react with fear and suspicion to our very existence," Xavier said to Storm gently.
"He has not had a life that inclines him much to trust in people, Ororo. Judge not, lest ye be judged."
Then he turned his attention back to coaxing Toad down out of the roof.
"Surely you are hungry?"
"I kin stay up here fer days, Charlie," Toad said, cradling one webbed hand and examing it, feeling slightly sick.
The heat blisters all over his skin were making him feel dizzy. And he was hungry...so hungry...but what was worse was the thirst. He needed to soak, rewet his skin.
"We will not hurt you," Xavier said.
Toad laughed bitterly.
"Suuuuuure yew won't, Johnny. Yew'r rough trade, yew and Maggs both. Both the same, both users."
Storm
"He doesn't lie" Storm said softly.
"If the Professor says we won't hurt you, then - "
A pointed look at Logan.
"Then we won't."
Toad, Xavier & Hank
"Yew tried to kill me already! Damn near did!" Toad exclaimed.
"That was in a different situation," Xavier said.
"I..."
Toad put a hand to his head, feeling dizzy and weak. Then he was falling, into darkness and to the floor. The bo staff hit the ground and clattered to a stop as Hank leapt and caught Toad gently before relanding.
"He is quite hurt," Hank said worriedly.
"I do not think he should be this dry, for one who is obviously amphibious."
He turned and hurried for his medlab.
Storm
Storm bit her tongue from retorting that he tried to kill her first.
She wasn't usually argumentative, hell she was usually calm, but there was something about mutants who tried to kill her that made her a little jumpy.
"Professor, if you don't need me..."
Logan, Xavier, Hank & Octavian
Logan looked at Xavier.
"Still need me, Chuck?"
"No, you both may go," Xavier said.
"Once Mr Toynbee has some food in his stomach and his burns are no longer as painful, I think he will be more co-operative. Actually, Logan, would you take his bo staff and put it somewhere he can see it in the medlabs?"
Logan shook his head slightly, but went and picked it up anyway. He started to follow Hank to the medlabs to do as Xavier had requested.
Hank hurried into the medlabs and laid Toad gently on a medbed, before going to arrange a type of nutrient bath the injured mutant could soak in.
"What in the world...?" Octavian asked, sitting up on his bed, then wincing slightly.
"Bobby, do you know who that is?"
Bobby
"Yeah, it's Toad," Bobby said, looking up from his book.
"He's dead. Oh... apparently not."
Hank & Octavian
Hank shook his head slightly at Bobby, before he wheeled the bath he had made near the bed Toad was on. He started to remove the mutant's outer clothes, pausing once he had taken Toad's shirt off, revealing the broad scarring that was the legacy of Storm's attack.
"Oh my..."
"Stars and garters?" Octavian said.
"What, is he finely toned?"
"What an interesting scar...I've seen something like that before...oh yes, on lightening strike...victims," Hank said, resuming his task.
He slid Toad into the bath gently, keeping the underwear on for some modesty.
"Why is he supposed to be dead?" Octavian queried.
Bobby
Bobby lowered his voice.
"We thought Storm had killed him. Last year at the Ellis Island thing."
Octavian & Hank
Octavian nodded slightly, gazing as Hank looked after the unconscious Toad.
"He seems rather breathing for a corpse," he observed.
"So, he's a Brotherhood mutant? Why are we helping him then? Shouldn't that be Magneto's job?"
Hank tsked slightly as he snipped away burnt hair from Toad's head. Other then that, the mutant seemed to be completely hairless.
"We help anyone, you should know that. Apparently he was caught by a mob...and about to be burned to death."
Bobby
"If we start hating each other, what excuses do we give people for hating us? There is none if we have no tolerance ourselves," Bobby said.
He stopped.
"I'll stop now."
Octavian, Hank & Toad
"Yes, I think you'd fit into the X-Men just fine," Octavian murmured and leant over to kiss Bobby quickly.
Hank smiled slightly.
"An indeed admirable sentiment, and one that would be wise to keep in mind when dealing with the Brotherhood and other like minded groups. Ah, I think he is waking up."
Toad's eyelids flickered, then he sat bolt upright in the bath, water slopping over the side as he flicked his hair out of his wide, panicstriken eyes.
"Wot? Jaysus Christ..."
His legs gathered and bunched beneath in the beginnings of a jump. Hank caught his shoulder and pushed him back down into the bath, gently but insistently.
"You will remain here, please. The bath is formulated to help your skin recover and also offset that dehydration you were suffering."
Toad shrank back like he expected to get hit, eyes moving wildly around the room and finally settling on Bobby and Octavian. He blinked slightly and cocked his head, before grinning.
"So, wot's th' deal 'ere then, crosses? Yew the bleedin' cavalry and all's now niners?"
Hank blinked slightly, then turned to Octavian.
"What in the world did he just say?"
"Don't ask me, I'm British *upper* class," the blond said.
Toad sniffed, then stuck his nose up in the air.
"Oh, 'ey? That takes the biscuit. Yew looking for a barney, Tom? Cos I'll be 'appy to take yer number and make a rumble out of it."
Bobby
Bobby looked embarressed at Tav and Hank's reactions, so he settled into read his book again.
"I have no idea. When Jono talks to me, I just look at Bek's tits."
Toad, Hank & Octavian
Toad subsided back into the bath again with a slight mutter of protest, too tired to make a fight of it. Hank nodded in satsifation, then went to get further medical supplies.
"F*ck I need a cough'n'drag."
He opened a greenybrown eye again.
"Don't s'pose none of yers grabbed me kit bag? Probably burning it right now, the toe-rags. Bollocks."
"Bek's breasts do have a tendecy to be distracting," Octavian agreed.
"Bit of awright fluff?" Toad inquired distractedly, studying the burnt webbing on his hand.
"Swear, I am going to give those benders *such* a kick up the khyber."
Bobby
"Especially when she's wearing a lowish top. I like when she does that."
Bobby grinned.
Octavian & Toad
"It is quite pleasant," Octavian agreed.
"You just have to remember to stay out of punching distance of Jono when you look down her top."
Toad listened to their conversation, eyes closed as he soaked in the water.
Bobby
"Ah, true dat, bro."
Bobby skimmed over the page he was on and frowned.
"How the hell am I meant to remember all this junk?"
Octavian
"Strength of will?" Octavian suggested.
"Or read it often enough, it should stick."
Bobby
"This is all Hank's fault, and you know why?" Bobby said.
He leant a little closer.
"Because I told him a dream. And he decided to be my wishmaster or something."
Octavian
"Ah, and what was your dream?" Octavian asked.
"And why is it connected to such obscene amounts of work?"
Bobby
Bobby blushed.
"Ah... nothing."
Octavian, Hank & Toad
"Ah, so cute," Octavian cooed, then leant forward to kiss Bobby again.
"Alright, I won't pry."
Hank came back in, carefully putting the bandages down and looking at Toad.
"I think you will have to get out now, so I can tend to the burns."
"Bugger orf," Toad muttered.
"'M tight kerry'd."
Bobby
Bobby went back to reading, looking up every once in awhile.
"Lalalalala."
Octavian, Hank & Toad
Octavian dragged his fingers over Bobby's stomach slowly, staring at the ceiling.
Hank got Toad out of the bath and gently patted him dry. The slim mutant shivered slightly before he let Hank put a pair of X-Men tracksuit pants on him.
"Please sit here," Hank said, patting the bed.
Toad did, still staring about him and calculating escape routes. He spotted his bo staff and opened his mouth, grabbing it with his tongue and then catching it before it hit him in the face. He swallowed, resettling his tongue in the back of his throat. A click on a stud and it depressed into the small cylinder.
"So, where's me clobber?" he demanded suspiciously.
"I look like a right nob in this get up."
"I think they are being washed," Hank dodged neatly.
Bobby
Bobby chuckled slightly and then got up to go find his jumper.
"Hanky, I think I left my hoodie in your office."
Hank & Toad
"It is almost undoubtedly there," Hank said.
"Now, Toad...what is your real name?"
"None o' yer beeswax," Toad said rudely.
"Fine. Toad. Please put your hands out so I may bandage them."
Toad did so with an expressive roll of his eyes.
Bobby
"You're a good man, Hanky McCoy."
Bobby went into Hank's office and retrieved his hoodie, shrugging it on over his hair.
"I've been practicing my power, like you've been demanding, Hank."
Hank & Toad
"Oh, good," Hank said as he rolled the bandages around Toad's hands.
"Are you improving?"
"'Ow am I meant to defend meself if me feelers are a pair of ruddy mitts?" Toad demanded with some alarm.
"You won't have to."
Toad made a raspberry in contempt of that idea.
Bobby
"I can turn my arm to ice. That's it. But that's better than snow, I guess."
Bobby shrugged.
Hank & Toad
"Very much better," Hank said.
"Do you think you will be able to turn your whole body to ice?"
Toad glowered and squirmed as Hank dabbed antiseptic cream on his face.
"Wotcher!" he protested, jerking his head back.
"That stuff stings like 'ell!"
"Please calm yourself and remain still," Hank scolded.
Bobby
"I guess. I mean, it's not a bad start, right?"
Bobby looked hopeful.
Octavian, Hank & Toad
"I think it's very good," Octavian said.
"I concur," Hank said.
Toad glared at the doctor as he finished and moved away slightly, before lying down on the bed. Hank went and called up for some food that Toad could eat.
"Anything in particular you would like?" Hank inquired politely.
Toad grinned.
"Anything's better then rats and pigeons."
Bobby
Bobby smiled slightly, and peered back at his book.
"Hmmmmmm, I wonder when that essay for Storm is due..."
Octavian
"Soon," Octavian said.
"It was nasty to do. If she didn't have such nice breasts, I'd never forgive her."
Bobby
"This, of course, is very true. Storm has excellent breasts."
Bobby nodded, enthused.
Octavian
Octavian put his head against BObby's shoulder, fingers drawing idle patterns over the other boy's stomach.
"She is a very striking woman."
Bobby
"It's the white hair."
Bobby glanced at the clock.
"Man, it's later than I thought."
He made a move to get up.
"Hey Hank, can I keep this book overnight?"
Hank & Octavian
"Of course, Bobby," Hank said.
"Can I leave now?" Octavian sighed.
"No."
"Dammit!"
Bobby
Bobby yawned.
"I'm going to check out dorms tomorrow, wanna come, Hanky?"
He rubbed Octavian's hand softly.
Octavian & Hank
"Honestly, Dr McCoy, I'm fine!" Octavian insisted.
Hank gave him a disbelieving look, then glanced at Bobby.
"Of course, Bobby."
Bobby
"Thanks Hank."
Bobby rummaged into his bag and pulled out a little box.
He handed it to Hank.
Inside, was a photo of them playing chess and feasting on twinkies, and then of course, there were some twinkies in the box.
Hank
Hank coughed slightly, then polished his glasses on a corner of his labcoat, ducking his head for a moment.
"Thank you very much, Bobby."
Bobby
Bobby smiled.
"No problem."
He got up and kissed Octavian's forehead, then went over and gave Hank a handshake.
"Night all, I'm off to bed. I'll be down here maybe... 9 tomorrow, Hank. So... yeah. Night."
Octavian, Hank & Toad
"Night," Octavian sighed, settling back onto his bed.
"Good night, Bobby," Hank said.
"I'll see you then."
Toad turned his head to look at Bobby, blinked slowly, then turned his head away again.
Bobby
Bobby gave a final salute and headed out to bed.
Hank
Hnak got his patients settled for the night, and then after closing up the medlabs, went to sleep himself.