Suspicions

To Todd's surprise, Roadblock didn't yell at him for sneaking off to see Xi. He listened patiently while Todd explained the situation. Finally he said simply, "Well I guess I can't blame you for wanting to help him. You did what you had to do."

"So I can see him some more?" Todd said hopefully.

"Well as long as Hawk says it's okay," Roadblock told him. "But remember, he's been through a lot. Don't rush him, okay. He's obviously not used to people and the real world. So take it easy on him."

"Okay," Todd nodded.

Roadblock ruffled the boy's hair, then gave him a brief hug. "You're a good kid, you know that?" He said.

"Aww," Todd pretended to be embarrassed but was secretly thrilled. He pulled away smiling.

"Listen," Roadblock's tone turned serious. "I need to tell you something. You have to be more careful from now on. You know those Cobra soldiers finding us wasn't an accident do you?"

"It wasn't?" Todd looked at him. "Then how did they find us?"

"We don't know," Roadblock said quietly. "They may have had inside information."

"You saying that there's a traitor on this base?" Todd's eyes went wide.

Roadblock sighed. "I don't wanna think that, but it looks like it. Don't worry, if there is we'll find him."

"They want me don't they?" Todd asked.

"And Althea and the other kids probably," Roadblock sighed. "Been after them for years. And now we have Xi on base. Cobra's probably not too thrilled about that."

"No wonder Xi's freaked," Todd shuddered. "Who would want to do that around here to us?"

"I don't know," Roadblock sighed. "I don't know."

************************************************************************

Later that day, Althea and her family were settling down to dinner. "COME AND GET IT!" Shipwreck rang the bell in the dining room. The triplets nearly ran him over. "Hey watch it kids! The foods not gonna run away you know!"

"Dinner!" They danced around excitedly.

"Yum Yum!" Little Claudius was already in his high chair, trying to eat Cheerios.

"AWK!" Polly squawked from his perch. "Chow time at the zoo!"

"So what's new?" Shipwreck asked as he put the dinner on the table.

"I learned how to make a computer explode," Quinn said.

"That's nice," Shipwreck nodded.

"Brittany and I are learning CPR," Daria said.

"Good to know," Shipwreck nodded. "Althea?"

"I learned about the new mutant some more," Althea told him. "He didn't even have a name before Todd named him. Calling himself Xi now."

"Hmm," Shipwreck finished setting the table. "Okay kids you know the rules. No eating until we say grace. GRACE!"

Immediately they all started grabbing food all at the same time, fighting each other for food. It looked like they were competitors at an eating contest more than a family eating dinner. Especially with Claudius throwing Cheerios at them. Later on into the meal they started to talk.

"There's something about that new mutant they're hiding," Althea said, thinking aloud. "They're not letting him have any other visitors except Toad. And I don't think he even realizes it."

"Well he is a programmed assassin," Shipwreck said as he spoon-fed his son. "That might limit the number of visitors."

"No not just that," Althea shook her head. "I tried to sneak a peek at Xi's medical forms, but Lifeline freaked when he saw me. Why? We all know Xi's a mutant and can turn invisible. And I hear he looks like a snake, so what's the big deal? Heck he even yelled at me, but he was more nervous than angry. I could tell it in his voice."

"You know how Lifeline is," Shipwreck told her. "He's probably wants the kid to feel at home. He was pretty protective of Todd when he first came here I heard."

"I guess you're right," Althea sighed. She then noticed that Brittany was about to pick something off her plate. She blocked Brittany's fork with her own. "Hey! Hands off you moocher!"

"Fine," Brittany sniffed. She started to filch something from Quinn's plate.

"Watch it!" Quinn snapped. "Or else I'm gonna get you like Roadblock's gonna get that traitor!"

"What traitor?" Daria asked.

"The traitor that tried to get rid of Roadblock and Toad," Quinn told her. "It's all over the base!"

"I can't believe that one of us is the traitor," Brittany shook her head.

"Since when did you join the army?" Daria asked.

"You know what I mean!" She stuck her tongue out at her.

"Well if any Joe had to be a traitor I hope it's Beach Head," Althea grumbled. "The guys a jerk!"

"Nah too obvious," Shipwreck sighed. "Maybe Cobra's just got the base bugged? They've done that before."

"But how?" Althea asked. "Unless it was an inside job." She couldn't stop thinking about it. She had grown up with most of these people around her. The very thought that one of them wanted to hurt her, Todd or her family made her skin crawl.

I'll talk to Todd in the morning, She finally decided. Maybe we can figure out this together.