Meanwhile Back at the Pit
While Lance was struggling in the desert, life at the Pit went on as before. Unfortunately.
"TOAD I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Rogue screamed as she and the X-Men chased him down the hallways. All of the X-Men were covered in slime.
"STOP!" Shipwreck shouted. He and Roadblock were witnessing the chaos. "STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"
"Okay what happened this time?" Roadblock groaned. "Toad why are the X-Men covered in slime?"
"I was talking to Althea," Todd pouted. "About…stuff and they started laughing at me!" He glared at the X-Men.
"I see," Shipwreck shook his head. "Well that explains the slime."
"Hey it's not our fault he's a baby who keeps crying about his bad dreams!" Evan laughed.
"Yeah Toad, can't you handle a few bad dreams?" Kurt snickered.
Todd glared at Kurt. "If you remembered the things your mother and Magneto did to you, you'd have nightmares too!"
"Why you…" Kurt lunged at him. Roadblock stopped him.
"All of you quit it!" Roadblock snapped. "Toad, go talk to Psyche-Out. You need a time out." Todd did so. "And the rest of you, what is wrong with you? You know he's sensitive about that!"
"Yeah well he didn't have to slime us!" Evan snapped.
"He's a rude, loudmouthed little shrimp!" Rogue snapped.
"True," Shipwreck said. "But then you all haven't exactly been Princes and Princesses Charmings yourselves now have you? I know you have hard feelings toward each other, but you haven't even given him a chance!"
"He's right," Roadblock said. "That kid's had it harder than you know. He's been through some pretty heavy stuff."
"Was it real bad?" Kurt suddenly felt guilty. "I mean was that stuff he was talking about true?"
"Yeah," Roadblock nodded. "It's true. So I don't want any of you picking on him anymore! Understand?"
The others agreed reluctantly. "But he still slimed us!" Bobby snapped.
"Which is the only reason none of you are going to get extra KP duty!" Shipwreck told him.
As the other X-Men complained, Kurt kept silent. He knew how bad he felt when he had learned that he had been experimented on. Still in a way it did settle his mind, at least he now had an explanation of why he looked the way he looked. It wasn't some cruel twist of fate that dictated his appearance. He often wondered what he would have looked like if Mystique hadn't allowed Magneto to change him.
He frowned. If Mystique was willing to do this to her own son, what chance did Toad have? He shuddered inwardly and decided to apologize to Toad. He ported away and looked for him. He found him in the Ninja dojo garden. Sitting there.
Todd frowned when he smelled brimstone. He didn't have to turn around to know Kurt was there. "What do you want fuzzy?" He snapped. "Come to pick on me some more?"
"No," Kurt sighed as he sat down next to Todd. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"Yes you did."
"Okay I did, but I wasn't thinking," Kurt looked at Todd. "Were they…really bad?"
"What?" Todd glared at him.
"The things that happened to you?" Kurt asked gently.
"Yeah," Todd looked away. He sat in silence for a moment. "Just so you know, I don't hate you cause of your mother. I mean it ain't your fault your mom's a psycho."
Kurt was about to retort, then he thought better of it. "Maybe you're right," He sighed. "I mean what kind of mother would do something like that to…? I just don't understand her."
"What's to understand? She's nuts," Todd spat. "My old man was the same way. He got his kicks torturing me and my mother before…" He shuddered at the memory. "Only he was a drunk, so at least he had some kind of excuse. This idea of better mutants though science stuff? I dunno. I mean, doesn't that kind of go against the whole point of natural evolution?"
They sat there in silence some more. "I come here to calm down," Todd explained. "It helps sometimes."
"It is peaceful here," Kurt looked around.
"It also helps when I need some alone time from Althea," Todd smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I love her, but sometimes a guy needs a break you know? I mean I can't just kiss her all day without getting some rest!"
"Tell me about it," Kurt grinned. "Amanda's always after me! She just can't get enough of me! I guess that's the price I pay for being blue and beautiful!"
"So have you written to your girlfriend yet?" Todd smirked.
"Oh yeah," Kurt smiled back. "Got some great letters back. With pictures. But I'm not going to show you those."
"Do I look like I need them?" Todd snickered. "Don't answer that."
"You really are happy here aren't you?" Kurt asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Todd asked him.
"TOAD WHERE ARE YOU?" Beach Head's voice could be heard from a distance. "YOU SLIMED MY DESK AGAIN!"
"I think I must be going now," Todd got up.
"AND WHICH ONE OF YOU BRATS PUT A SHAVING CREAM BOMB IN MY FOOTLOCKER?" Beach Head screamed.
"I think I'll join you," Kurt followed him.
************************************************************************
Much later on after a rigorous training session. "Medic!" Evan groaned as he fell flat on his face on a couch.
"These training sessions are killing me," Bobby groaned. He took off the weights from his arms and legs.
"Aw come on," Althea said. "These are supposed to be good for you. Makes you stronger."
"How?" Roberto groaned. "I can barely lift my arm after these psycho sessions, let alone throw a punch!"
"Well I think I'm getting stronger," Ray groaned. "Yesterday I couldn't even lift my finger, now I can!"
"Where's Wolverine when you need him?" Amara groaned.
"He and Jinx and Storm went off base for some reason," Jean said. "I think to get some supplies. Plus Storm just can't take being serenaded and propositioned every ten minutes by some of the guys here."
"What I can't take is the pain!" Evan groaned.
"I'll go get Lifeline to help you guys out," Althea got up and went down the hall to the medical office. There she found Bree the nurse taking care of Peter. "Hey Peter, Bree! What's going on?"
"Hi Althea," Bree smiled. "Just checking out Peter's vitals. He's almost completely cured."
"I'm starting to feel like my old self," He smiled. "Even my strength's come back."
"That's great! Where's Lifeline?" Althea asked. "We need somebody to keep the gang pacified with their aches and pains."
"He had to go off base," Bree told her. "Emergency. Anything serious?"
"Nah," She shrugged. "Just the…"
An alarm interrupted her. "What's going on?"
"We're under attack!" Bree cried out. "Althea you get the kids to the safe area! Peter! Go with her!"
"Come on Pete!" Althea led him to the others. "Everybody follow me! Now! We're under attack!" They followed her to a room that was heavily secured. The triplets and Claudius were already there. Hawk and Duke were there as well.
"Is that everyone?" Duke asked.
"Yeah what's going on?" Kitty asked.
"The base is under attack," Duke told her. "You kids need to stay in here until it's over."
"But we can help!" Amara said.
"Yeah give us a chance!" Tabitha said. "We'll show these bad boys who they're messing with!"
"No! All of you stay below with Althea and the others!" Hawk told them. "Now! That's an order!" They left and closed the door behind them. It made a locking sound.
"They locked us in?" Bobby yelped.
"It's just a precaution," Althea told him. "Come on let's check out the action on the computer here." She pointed to a computer system with monitors. She turned it on.
They watched the action from the monitors. "I'd know that slimy face anywhere!" Althea pointed to a familiar face leading the troops attacking the base.
"The Baroness," Jean's eyes narrowed.
"Did you GI Jokers really think that we wouldn't go after those mutants?" Baroness shouted. "Attack!"
Cobra HISS tanks and soldiers attacked, but they were easily kept at bay by the Joe forces. Even the Cobra planes seemed reluctant to fight but dodged more than attacked. "Something's not right about this!" Althea said. "Cobra knows it can't breach our defenses! What are they really after? It's got to be some kind of trick? But what?"
"Whatever it is, they want a fight with us," Scott snapped. "They got it!"
"But Hawk told us not to go out there!" Todd said.
"Hey you can do what you want, but we are out of here!" Kurt said.
"X-Men let's move out!" Scott said.
"Oh no you don't!" Althea moved to restrain him, but he teleported with Rogue and Scott outside. Kitty phased with Jubilee and Bobby outside. "Guys you're not supposed to go out there!"
"Hey you guys can stay here and miss all the action," Ray said as Jean used her powers to open the door.
"Yeah I'm itching to get back into the fray again!" Peter whooped. They all left, leaving Todd, Althea and the Triplets. Todd moved to follow them.
"Toad stay here!" Althea shouted. "I know you want to fight, but something in my gut tells me that that's what Cobra wants!"
"But we can't just let them go out!" Todd said.
"We're not!" Althea hit the communicator. "General! The X-Men got out!"
"WHAT?" Hawk shouted.
"They left their post! Toad and I are here with the Triplets, what are your orders?" She asked.
"Stay there!" He shouted. "Dumb kids! They're playing into Cobra's hands! Xavier! Get those kids back inside!"
"I think this might be a good time to let the students show you what they've learned," Xavier told him though telepathy.
"No! Not this time!" Hawk shouted. "There's something fishy about this attack! They're barely trying to breach our defenses!"
"Yeah we're holding them off without breaking a sweat," Beach Head snapped. "What gives? How are they gonna get those mutants if they don't do anything?"
A loud yell got their attention. "Ask a stupid question," Hawk groaned. To his horror the kids were running out and using their powers on the Cobras. "WILL YOU KIDS GET OUT OF HERE?"
They didn't. Scott used his eyebeams to bring down a few tanks. Kitty phased through several, destroying their guidance systems. Tabitha made dozens of energy bombs and threw them around all over the place. Some of them landed on the Cobra tanks, but most of them blew up the Joe tanks.
"Great going Boom Boom!" Ray snapped. "You blew up the wrong tanks!"
"Oops," Tabitha blinked.
"I'm gonna freeze that jet!" Bobby used his powers on a low flying Cobra Jet. Unfortunately he hit the Joe plane that was following it. It crashed into several other jets. Fortunately Kurt and Jean managed to rescue the pilots before they got hurt.
"Whose side are you kids on?" One of the pilots snapped.
"NOW!" The Baroness commanded. "Release the bugs!" Several Cobras opened some kind of canisters. Suddenly swarms of bugs surrounded the X-Men, stinging them. "OW" Kurt yelped.
"Man these things are all over the place!" Evan yelped trying to swat them.
"Ow!" Kitty yelped. She phased allowing the bugs to pass through them. Those that did gave off some sparks and fell to the ground. "What the heck?"
"Don't bother me," Peter grinned as the bugs bounced off his armored form. He grabbed a small motorcycle and threw it at the Cobras, causing them to scatter.
As quickly as they appeared the bugs retreated. They went into a metal container that a Cobra soldier held open. "DNA retrieval completed Baroness!" He shouted.
"Excellent! Cobra! Retreat! We have what we came for!" She shouted. The Cobras left quickly.
"Do we follow them?" Cover Girl asked.
"With what?" Hawk fumed, pointing to the destroyed vehicles.
"Oops," Bobby gulped.
Althea and Todd came out with a few other soldiers. "Way to go guys!" Althea snapped. "You caused more damage than the Cobras!"
"So much for you guys protecting us," Todd said. "Who's gonna protect us from you?"
"Hey look at these things," Kitty picked up one of the destroyed bugs that phased through her. "When I phased they kind of self destructed."
"What kind of bug is that?" Evan asked.
"That ain't no bug," Todd snapped. "That's one of those Cobra spy robots! They make 'em real small so you don't suspect nothing yo!"
"That's not all it does," Mainframe looked at it. "Look, you can see there's a tiny syringe in each one."
"What for?" Evan scratched as his arms. "Why would Cobra make metal mosquitoes?"
"Mosquitoes," Duke said. "That's it! Those things only went after the X-Men! You were the only ones who got bit!"
"Of course!" Hawk snapped. "How could we have been so stupid! They never intended to capture the X-Men at all!"
"Then why did they attack the base?" Scott asked.
"They attacked the base to make sure you would fight them," Duke said.
"Wait, I don't get it," Bobby said. "They didn't want us, but they wanted to fight us? So they could sick metal mosquitoes on us?"
"And draw your blood," Duke said.
"You did what Cobra wanted you to do!" Hawk fumed. "They weren't after you! They were after your DNA! By disobeying orders, they got a hefty dose of that! Three guesses what Cobra's gonna do with that?"
"Breed their own mutants," Xavier frowned.
"Got it in one!" Hawk snapped.
"See! I told you not to disobey orders!" Althea snapped.
"Glad for once I listened," Todd said.
"All X-Men are confined to quarters now," Hawk snapped. He glared at Xavier. "All of you."
"You're putting us under arrest?" Xavier asked.
"More like protective custody," Hawk snarled. "You're recklessness and disregard for your own safety proves my point!"
"Hey we were just trying help you," Scott snapped.
"You kids can barely take care of yourselves," Hawk snapped. "Much less anyone else!" He turned to Xavier. "What's the matter with you? Didn't you train your kids better than this? This is why you civilians are supposed to stay out of our way! Look at this place! A lot of guys got hurt because of your actions as well as property damage! As their leader you should have known better!"
"We were trying to…" Xavier started.
"Prove a point?" Hawk snapped. "Yeah you proved a point all right. You proved how much mutants need guidance as well as how unfit for leadership you are! You didn't even try to order those students back! A good leader knows when to fall back! If you had let us do our job instead of trying to prove something, none of this would have happened!"
"I didn't realize how Cobra thought," Xavier said. "They had shielded their minds with that…"
"Yeah well we figured it out without reading minds Baldy!" Beach Head snapped. "Maybe these kids would be better off out of your hands!"
"What?" Scott said. "Are you saying you'd take us away from the professor? You can't do that!"
"Wanna bet?" Beach Head growled, getting into Scott's face.
"That's enough!" Hawk said. "All X-Men are confined to quarters at least until we've all calmed down. We'll discuss this later! Get them all out of my sight!" Several Joes escorted the X-Men and Xavier away. Althea and Todd watched the sight.
"I knew they'd cause nothing but trouble the minute they first walked on this base," Althea sniffed.
"What's gonna happen to them?" Todd asked Hawk. "You ain't really gonna make 'em stay here are you?"
"No," Hawk waved his hands. "I don't want to do that. I just think someone like Storm or Logan would be better off leading them, that's all. I don't know what I am going to do just yet! I need to think," He stormed away.
"So much for Humans and Mutants getting along," Beach Head growled.
