Ch9

Magneto spoke calmly from behind as he walked out of his bedroom and
headed toward the staircase. Toad's fury was quickly replaced by
fear. "Um…one of the x-men came ere looking for trouble..."

Magneto raised his hand to stop Toad from saying another word as he
started to walk down the stairs to see which x-men was foolish
enough to walk into his lair. Erik's face brightened and a wide
smile streaked across his face. "This is the x-men you're so worried
about?" he chastised the amphibinoid. "Why this one could make a
profession out of pacifism." He mused as he continued to walk down
the stairs.

"Please forgive my brother's rudeness, Night Crawler isn't it? We so
seldom entertain guests that he forgets his manners. Now exactly
what brings you here?"

Kurt could feel his heart rate slowing and the adrenalin in his
veins begin to ease somewhat as he began to realize that once again
his life had been miraculously spared. "I have come here to ask zhe
mutant called Toad if he vould return an item zhat he stole from one
of Xavier's students."

"Stole?" Magneto repeated defensively. "That's a very drastic
accusation you are making Night Crawler. You have proof of this
crime?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, but I assure you Herr Magneto, Toad took
Marie's scarf and she vishes to have it back."

"That's a ruddy lie!" Toad snapped. "The bird gave er scarf to me
as a souvenir," he mocked sweetly. Kurt's face showed his anger but
he courageously remained calm. "Vell in any case, she vants it back!"

"Now that's a bleeding shame ain't it! I'd like to ave a few things
returned to me, but you don't see me whining about them now do you."
Toad retorted as he went to the living room and turned the couch
upright. Ach, mein Gott!When will this end!?!' Kurt began to wonder.

"Perhaps Toad," Kurt spoke speculatively. "If you vould be so kind
as to return Marie's scarf to her, zhen who knows? Perhaps zhat vhat
you have lost, vill be returned to you." Kurt's kind words only
brought dark memories to Toad's mind. "That's not ow it works for
me, bloke. It never works out for me!" he spat bitterly.

Suddenly, Kurt felt an over whelming sense of compassion for the
young green man. "Tell me Toad, vhat did you loose?"

For a moment or so, Toad stared angrily at Kurt, suspicious of the
blue mutant's motives. "Oh, let's see…" he snapped sarcastically. "…
for a start, MY PARENTS! Oh, then there were all my childhood chums,
oh wait a bloody minute…I never ad ANY! A decent ome where I grew
up…no wait, I didn't ave that either! An encouraging tutor, a
caring teacher oh that's right…I never ad one!"

"Waa, waa, waa! See what you started freak," Sabretooth interrupted
with a rude snort. "Now he'll be bitching about his pathetic life
for the rest of the damn evening!"

Toad turned his attention to Sabretooth and glared at the blonde
haired brute. "I know…" Toad concluded. "I'd settle for just getting
back me bloody Star Wars collection!" Sabretooth chuckled as he
rolled his eyes. "You're STILL crying about those dolls?"

"They're action figures!" Toad stressed. "And it took me a bloody
lifetime to collect em all."

"Vhere are zhey now, Toad?" Kurt interrupted. Toad shot a bitter
glareat Sabretooth who grinned maliciously while scratching his
beard. "Oh, I buried Toad's toys somewhere out in the yard."

Kurt then took this opportunity to weave a deal. "Toad, if
Zabretooth returned your dolls, ah…I mean to zay, action figures…
back to you, vould you zhen give back Marie's scarf?" But before
Toad could reply Sabretooth interrupted. "Why the hell should I give
back Toaddolls? He's always buggin' the crap outta me!"

"Oh you're justsore cause Mags won't let you take off for
Christmas." Toad sneered at Sabretooth.

Kurt sighed. "Zabretooth, if you got the holiday off, vould you
return the action figures back to Toad?" Sabretooth shrugged his
shoulders. "Whaddya say Mags?"

Magneto looked at everyone in the room as they looked at himholding
their breath waiting for his answer. "Why does it all come down to
me?"