A New Friend

"Will you kids stop your water fight?" BA shouted. Althea and Todd were on KP duty. Actually what they were doing now was creating a huge mess. "The kitchen looks like Noah's Ark sprung a leak!"

"Just washing up!" Althea told him. "Watch!" She created a mini water tornado and it spun all over the place. Unfortunately it also got BA and it spun him around and around.

"HEEEEEELLLLLLP!" He screamed.

"Oops," Althea subsided the waters. "Sorry about that."

"That's it," BA lay there on the floor. "You two are done. Go. Please!"

"Yeah!" Todd and Althea ran out of the kitchen.

"I was better off at the bottom of the ocean," BA groaned. "More peaceful."

"That was great," Althea laughed.

"Easy for you to say," Todd remarked. "Your body doesn't stink when it gets wet."

"Aw come on," Althea looked at him. "It's gotten a lot better. Must be the soap."

"Yeah," Todd bashfully hung his head down. Then he noticed some activity. "What's going on over there?"

"Let's find out," Althea said and they went over to a group of Joes talking.

"Great that's all we need around here," Beach Head snapped. "Another one."

"Another what?" Todd asked.

"Another one of you," Beach Head snapped. "That mutant in the jungle's crazier than you!"

"You mean they found that mutant I saw in the jungle?" Todd blinked.

"Yeah and he wasn't too happy about being found," Beach Head snapped. "Had to trank him to get him and when he came too, he nearly killed me!"

"Well that proves he's not all bad," Low Light said.

"Well how did you expect him to react?" Todd said angrily. "He was used by those Cobra goons and they hurt him. He doesn't know you guys! He probably thinks you were gonna hurt him or something!"

"Listen that mutant is off limits to everyone!" Beach Head snapped. "Especially you kids!"

"But…" Althea started to protest.

"Come on Althea," Todd took her arm. "Beach Head's right. Let's go."

"What are you up to?" Althea asked when they were far enough away.

"Somebody's gotta tell that mutant that the Joes are the good guys," Todd said. "There's the medical unit. If I can make it to that window and inside, I can see him and tell him what's what!"

"Are you crazy?" Althea asked. "What am I saying?"

"Althea you keep a lookout," Todd told her. "I'm going in!" He hopped up to the window and snuck through.

Todd managed to make it through the medical wing unobserved. He quickly found the room where the mutant was. There was no guard, but the door was locked. Luckily Todd's skills at picking locks were not rusty.

Todd peeked his head in. The mutant was huddled underneath the blankets. "Hey," Todd said softly. "Can I come in?"

Instinctively the mutant sat upwards and crouched in a fighting position. "Whoa! Whoa! It's me!" Todd held up his hands. "Remember? From the jungle?"

The mutant blinked it's eyes. "You do remember don't you?" Todd said softly. "Then you know I ain't gonna hurt you. Look we didn't really get to introduce ourselves. I'm Todd, but everybody calls me Toad. That's my code name."

The mutant simply stared at him with those yellow eyes. "O-kay," Todd scratched his head. "Look, I know you're kinda freaked about being here. I understand. You don't know how to react, but you could at least tell me your name. I mean it would be easier to talk to you, y'know."

Still the mutant said nothing. "Okay let me try another way," Todd looked around. "Hey, you're name would be on this chart thingy here. How about I take a look at that?" He read the form.

NAME: XI

"Okay," Todd looked at the name. "Uh…Xi," He pronounced it "Zai". "Nice to meet you." Again the mutant was silent.

"Look," Todd sighed. "I ain't good at this talking stuff but believe me I know exactly how you feel. I mean, it wasn't that long ago when I found myself in the same place you are now. Literally. I was with this group see…Their leader treated me rotten. He did things to me too. Then he abandoned me and left me to die. I thought I deserved to die for being so weak and useless. But then the Joes found me. And I met Roadblock; he's kinda like my new dad now. They're not what I expected. They're real nice. Well except for Beach Head, but he's a jerk and nobody likes him, so he don't count. But they were kind to me. They really wanted to help me with no strings attached."

Xi looked at him. There was a look of pain and sadness in the mutant's eyes. "I thought I was alone," Todd said. "But I ain't any more. I got friends now. That can happen to you too."

"Todd what are you doing here?" Beach Head burst in. "Are you crazy? What a stupid question! Get away from that monster!"

"No!" Todd snapped. "Xi's my friend. He's not bad! Cobra just made him that way!"

"Xi?" Lifeline came inside.

"Well that's his name ain't it?" Todd asked. "Says so on the chart."

"It's X-I," Beach Head snapped, exasperated. "They're Roman Numerals! It means 11. His name is Eleven!"

"I like Xi better," Xi said softly. He looked at Todd and Lifeline.

"Beach Head why don't you go talk to General Hawk?" Lifeline suggested, guiding him out of the room. "I think we have things under control here." Beach Head stormed out in a huff.

"You ain't even had a real name before have you?" Todd asked. "Man, no wonder you don't like to talk."

"We aren't going to hurt you," Lifeline said softly. "We only want to help. There are others on this base. Mutants like you. They're only children as well. They're father is a soldier here and well we found Toad so…" He looked around. "Are there any others like you? Did any other mutants survive Cobra?"

"I'm…alone," Xi said softly. "My kind were all destroyed by those who created us. I alone survived."

"I'm sorry," Todd said gently.

Xi looked at Todd. Tentatively it reached for Todd's hair and touched it. Todd looked surprised but Lifeline motioned him to stay still. Xi examined the texture of Todd's hair, then traced Todd's face with his fingers.

"You are like me, yet not like me," Xi said simply.

"I'm a mutant like you yeah," Todd said.

Xi then looked at Lifeline. Cautiously Xi touched Lifeline's face and hands. It jerked away. "You are human, yet not human." Xi stated. "Not mutant either."

"You can tell that?" Lifeline was surprised. Xi nodded. "I have the gift of healing, but I don't know where it comes from."

"You will not harm me," Xi said simply.

"No I won't," Lifeline said softly. "I promise."

Xi trembled nervously. "I no longer wish to be alone. Isolation…is painful."

"We all know how you feel Xi," Todd said. "Hey Lifeline maybe I can take Xi home with me!"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Lifeline said. "Xi needs to rest."

"I don't want to be alone," Xi told him, sounding like a frightened child.

"I'll sit with you tonight," Lifeline said. "And tomorrow Todd can see you again."

Xi nodded. "I just have to send Todd off and get something," Lifeline told him. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Bye Xi," Todd waved to him. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Lifeline took Todd outside the door. They saw Hawk and Roadblock waiting for him. "I knew it," Roadblock sighed.

"Take it easy on him Roadblock," Lifeline said. "The kid actually did some good. The mutant…Xi calmed down because of him."

"Yeah can I see him tomorrow Roadblock?" Todd asked. "He's really scared, just like I was. It'll be cool having another mutant around! Hey maybe he can move in with us?"

"Oh no," Roadblock groaned. "One of you is more than enough! But as for seeing him…" He looked at Lifeline.

"There's no danger," Lifeline told him. "I believe they've made a connection."

" Yeah, what was all that touching stuff?" Todd asked. "Is that what you meant?"

"I think that's how Xi gets to know people," Lifeline explained. "I think he was genetically programmed to sense people through touch. Nothing you have to worry about."

"Weird," Todd shrugged.

"Not really," Lifeline told him. "All living beings need to be touched. It's just part of the basic needs of humans. And mutants." He looked at Hawk and Roadblock. "I think it would be good for both of them if they had some contact. It would make the transition easier for Xi and as for Todd…"

"Yeah, yeah," Roadblock sighed. "It would be good if you had another little playmate around. Oh all right. As long as it's fine with General Hawk and Lifeline you can play with your little friend."

"YES!" Todd smiled.

"Why don't you bring him by after breakfast tomorrow?" Lifeline suggested.

Roadblock agreed and left with Todd. Hawk sighed. "You really think this is a good idea Lifeline?"

"Yes," Lifeline nodded. "You didn't see how Xi relaxed when Toad came into the room. I think it would be beneficial if Todd and Xi spend some time together before Xi meets the others."

"We should still be careful," Hawk sighed. "Xi isn't just a normal mutant. Xi was created to be an assassin."

"So was Stormshadow," Lifeline told him.

"Stormshadow wasn't created in a lab," Hawk reminded him.

"True, but they were both trained to fight and kill since birth," Lifeline told him. "And they both chose to leave Cobra. That warrants a chance. Um, do you think we should tell anyone else about the other thing I discovered about Xi during my examination of…"

"No," Hawk sighed. "I don't think anyone, especially the kids really needs to know about Xi's …um…little secret. It wouldn't make much difference anyway. There's no need for worry about that. I think that if we don't tell everything will be fine."

Hawk couldn't have been more wrong.