Notes: First, none of the characters are mine, yada yada yada…This story takes place at the very end of "Shadowed Past." Another random thought through my head.
Mystique Dearest
Mystique watched as the happy girl waved to her mother from her office. The smile on the child's face cut a knife into her heart. It was another thing she could never have. The simple joy of a child's love. That could have been Kurt or Rogue. She thought to herself.
She crossed her arms and held them close to her chest. Why couldn't Magneto just leave it alone, just this once? I never try to interfere with his kid! If only I could have spoken to him, just for a few minutes it would have been all right! He might have even come with me! But that will never happen now. He hates me, just like Rogue. I've lost them both now. Both my children. I'm alone.
"Wait a minute," she came to a realization as she sat at her desk. "I do have children! Okay, they're deranged lunatics but, well…beggars can't be choosers. I mean, maybe I ought to give them a chance. They may not be exactly what I wanted, but what kid is? I mean lots of parents don't have perfect kids or are disappointed in them in some way but they love them anyway right? How they do it I have no idea, but anything is worth a try at this point."
Just then her secretary buzzed her office. "Ms. Darkholme, Todd Tolensky to see you."
"Tolensky? Uh…I'll be there in a minute," she shut off the intercom. "Okay, definitely not what I had in mind! I mean, he's a pathetic smelly little kleptomaniac! Then again, Lance and Fred are too old for mothering, and Pietro I am not touching with a ten-foot pole. So that leaves…Oh I really am desperate!"
She put her face in her hands. "Why? Why him? Then again his parents must have asked that same question." She braced herself. "Okay. Okay. I can do this. I can do this. It's not going to be easy. But I can do this. I mean, I've successfully completed missions and survived what no one else could. I was a double agent inside the KGB and the CIA a while back. I've fought in jungles, deserts, the Antarctic. How hard could this be? Don't answer that Mystique, just look beyond the outside. Get to know him. Somewhere deep inside, underneath all the dirt, and the slime, and the smell…is a little boy who needs guidance. And a few etiquette lessons. And a really strong deodorant. A very strong deodorant. Okay. Here we go."
With all the strength she could muster, she forced herself out of the chair and made her way to the door. She held onto the handle for a second. "He is just a boy," she repeated to herself. "He is just a boy."
She opened the door. She looked down and saw Todd slumped in his seat, shuffling his feet. She took a good look at him. Oh god he's a mess! She thought. He does look like a toad! What am I getting myself into? No, I will try this. I can do this!
"Mr. Tolensky," she spoke with authority. She stifled the urge to hold her nose as he meekly shuffled in. He hopped into the chair in front of her desk, waiting in dread for the moment when she would scream her lungs out at him. Calmly she opened a window, not saying a word. Think motherly thoughts. Focus on your maternal instincts. He is just a boy. A helpless little frog-boy who can not hurt you.
"Now," she turned to him. He cringed in the chair at the sound of her voice. "Toad. What happened today?" she kept her voice as calm and as sweet as possible.
"Uh…" he stammered. "Um…I kinda sorta…had a little accident in science class. I kinda mixed together a couple of chemicals I shouldn't have and you know well…boom!"
"Well, that's understandable. Accidents like that happen all the time," she was amazed at how calm and gentle she could make her voice.
"Uh…yeah well, the thing is…I was supposed to be in English at the time and I was kinda skipping class, wandering the halls and I came on this empty classroom. I'd thought I'd hide out there and stuff and I saw these beakers and uh…"
"O-kay," Mystique kept the tension out of her voice. "You don't like your English class? Why?"
"Well, uh…y'know…It's got all these weird boring books you gotta read plus that teacher, she's always harping on the way I talk, y'know. Like I ain't got good grammar and stuff y'know?"
"I see," she was still controlling her voice. "Toad, I think it's time you and I had a little talk about your performance. And I don't mean your academic one. I noticed again last night that your battle techniques are… how shall I put this? Slightly flawed."
"Aw man, Mystique if it's about last night that was not my idea! You gotta believe me!"
"Toad, I don't blame you. That was obviously not your fault! You were being controlled by…higher up. I understand that. It was not your fault."
"Aw I knew you were gonna get us for that! I told Quickie that we shouldn't have done that! But no-o! It was all his idea! He read your note! He told on you to Magneto! He told us to take down Blue-boy! Honest!"
"I suspected that it was him, but I am not going to punish you for his transgressions."
"Why not? That's what you usually do anyway!"
"I do…well actually you have a point there, but not this time. This is about you. And how we are going to try and improve you."
"You're gonna hit me aren't you?"
"No I'm not. I'm not angry at you."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not."
"Then why is that vein on your forehead throbbing like that? It always gets like that when you get mad."
"For the last time," Mystique groaned, her voice getting louder. "I am not, repeat, not, angry at you. I am angry at other people who force me to take extreme measures, but not you!"
"Don't hit me!" Todd cringed.
"Toad, calm down! I am not going to hit you! Now, maybe we can work on your…um…well work on you. Perhaps what you need is more personalized training. More individual attention."
"Oh no, what are you going to do to me?"
"Toad, believe it or not, there are other ways of getting through to you other than beating the daylights out of you! Not many but we are going to give them a try." She sat back down at her desk. "There is a theory of positive reinforcement. The idea is to reward or praise your good behavior in the hopes it will cut down on your negative behavior. Perhaps if we focus on you good qualities that will help you overcome some of your less desirable traits. I mean even you must have some good qualities. Something. Anything. Just pick one out of the blue."
"Um, I'm good at stealing stuff."
"O-kay," Mystique rubbed her forehead. "Obviously we need to define the term good. As in nothing illegal or wrong. You do know the difference between right and wrong, don't you?"
Todd gave her a blank stare. Mystique put her hands in her head. "Please Toad, at least take a shot at it! Try for my sake please!"
"Um…uh…Right is when you don't get caught doing stuff and wrong is when you do?"
"Okay. Let's try this again," she took a deep breath. "Something good about yourself that won't land you in prison. I've got it. You're enthusiastic. Yes. That's acceptable."
"Wazzat mean?"
"It means you are eager and have lots of energy."
"Oh yeah! I got that! Look!" he hopped off his chair and did a few backflips. Then he did a quick breakdance and hopped onto the wall for a second. He quickly did even more acrobatics all over the office. Mystique slapped her head in disbelief.
"When will I learn?" she muttered to herself. "Toad! Okay! Okay! I get it! I get it! Get off the wall please! No! Don't do that! Toad knock it off!"
Todd stopped immediately. Trouble was he was on the ceiling at the time so he fell flat on his face. With a groan he quietly crept back into the chair. Mystique felt a major migraine coming on when he gave what he obviously thought to be a disarming smile.
"All right, let's try this one more time," Mystique sighed as she got out of her chair and faced the window in order to collect herself. "I think what we need to do is work on other areas. You are not totally hopeless. You are just young, in need of guidance."
While she was talking she did not see that a fly buzzing in from the open window diverted Todd's attention. He watched intently as it flew around. Mystique kept talking, not realizing that Todd had other things on his mind.
"I know you think I'm tough on you, but I have to be. It's for your own good. What you need is to be properly taught in order to become a more successful member of the team. There are many lessons you need to learn in order to not only survive but thrive in the world." She turned around just in time to see Todd's tongue make contact with the hapless fly. "Basic social skills for instance."
She walked in front of him. Todd shrank a little in his seat. She found it impossible to keep the edge out of her voice as she spoke to him. "Toad, there is one very important thing you need to know. It is very, very, very, very, very impolite to catch flies when other people are talking. Got it!"
Todd nodded nervously. "Good," she sighed, leaning back onto the desk. "Now that we have that settled, why don't you make a suggestion on how things can be better between us."
"Who me?"
"Yes, you. Communication is very important between people who know each other. I don't want you to think of me just as your leader, but as your…friend. I'm sure there are things you would like to improve in our relationship. Do you have any suggestions? Other than me not hitting you."
"Well," he played with his webbed fingers. "Y'know, sometimes you could call me Todd. It is my name. It would just, be nice if you did, y'know."
"Okay, that sounds reasonable…Todd. There. That's not so difficult is it?"
"No. No that's nice," he smiled.
"Now, why don't you give me a hug?"
"What?" Todd made a confused face.
"A hug. A little hug. To show there's no hard feelings for last night."
"Uh…you sure?"
"Yes," she held out her arms. Todd was not yet convinced.
"This isn't gonna hurt is it?" he asked meekly.
"No it's not."
"You ain't gonna turn into some kind of monster or something and bite my head off aren't you? Remember the time you wanted me to infiltrate the X-freak's mansion? You ain't gonna do what you did then aren't ya?"
"No I'm not. I don't do that. I'm not going to do that. Now come on, don't be afraid. Come on Todd. Come on. Don't be shy. That's a good boy. Come on."
Cautiously Todd inched closer to her. Tentatively he put his arms around her waist and let her hug him. "There now, that's not so bad now is it?" she said gently patting his back. "That's a good boy. Good boy."
Todd gently squeezed back. It was then that Mystique felt herself getting a little nauseous as his odor started to overpower her. She absently patted his hair and realized a little too late that maybe that wasn't such a good idea. She tried to wipe her hand on his back, a movement Todd mistook for greater affection and hugged her tighter.
"Okay Todd, that's enough now," she gasped. Todd however simply held on to her tighter. "Todd! Todd, you can let go now!" She tried to move away from him but he clung to her even more. "Todd, let go now!" she choked trying to breathe as she dragged him across the room. Todd was oblivious to Mystique's discomfort. He clung to her waist as she tried to separate herself from him. She waved her hand that had touched Todd's hair wildly as if it had suddenly caught on fire. She tried to pull him off with her other hand. Unfortunately Todd for some reason took this as another affectionate sign and kissed it.
"Okay Todd, let's not overdo it!" Mystique's voice grew higher and her face was turning blue. "TOAD LET GO OF ME!"
She finally shoved him off her. She fell back against her desk as he fell onto the floor. As she gasped for air, Todd blinked at her. "Um, I think that we made excellent progress today," he said. "Whaddya think?"
"GET OUT!" she screamed. Todd took the hint and hopped out of there as fast as his legs could carry him. Mystique raced to the other side of the desk in panic.
"Uggghh! It's all over me! He got slime on me! Where's the disinfectant? Where's the disinfectant?"
Mystique rapidly opened her desk drawer and took out a can of Lysol. She made an agonizing cry as she sprayed her hands, then her entire body with it. She then ran around the room spraying everything in sight. "AGGGGHHHHH! Fresh air! I need fresh air!"
She stuck her head out the window, taking deep breaths. After a few minutes she began to breathe normally. "That…affection starved…nitwit…What possessed me…to even think…? Never again. No no! Never again! Parenthood…stinks! Who needs it! Only one thing to do…other than take a long shower…"
With an angry gleam in her eye she buzzed the intercom. "Get me Pietro Maximoff! Now!" She then began to pace back and forth in rage. "I don't care what happens now. But after what Magneto just put me through…Oh he is going to pay! He's gonna pay! I'll get him and his little hyperactive brat too!"
There was a knock at the door, before she could answer, Pietro opened the door looking cocky as ever. "Hey, boss lady. You wanna see me? Hey!"
His attitude quickly turned into sheer terror when Mystique grabbed Pietro by the shirt. "Nancy," she informed her secretary. "Hold my calls. I am going to have a little chat with Mr. Maximoff here. Heh Heh!"
She yanked him inside and slammed the door shut. Nancy shrugged and returned to her typing. She did not know that Mystique had secretly soundproofed the principal's office a while back. She could not hear what took place next.
"Aw Mystique, come on! It wasn't my fault! We had orders!"
"Shaddap you little snitch! This is what you get for crossing me!"
"OW! Aw c'mon! No! No! Not that! Anything but that!"
"Remember Quicksilver, this may hurt you, but it will give me extreme satisfaction! Ha Ha Ha!"
"HELP! MOMMY!"
"Don't you ever call me that!"
"Ow! That hurts!"
"Good!"