The Sleeper Awakens

Magneto let out a scream of agony as the flames singed his body. He could not completely dodge it. He dropped Althea to the ground. He released his cape that had caught on fire and glared to see who had dared attack him.

That was when he saw him. A huge man with glowing gold eyes hovered above him. He had reddish brown hair, pale skin, black armor and a pair of gigantic dragon-like wings sprouting from his back. "Who are you?" Magneto snapped. "Another one of Cobra's creations?"

He responded by shooting a blast of fire from his mouth straight at Magneto. Magneto dodged it and started his familiar routine of sending metal objects at his attacker. However the creature easily dodged them and attacked Magneto head on, pummeling at him with his fists.

Down below on the ground Pietro was the first one to shake off Magneto's attack. He raced to Althea's side and breathed a sigh of relief. "She's still breathing," Pietro told Lance who was now wobbling towards him. "She didn't get burned or anything. She's out cold but I think she'll be okay."

"I don't know who this guy is," Fred said as he made his way towards them. "But I'm glad he's on our side." They watched the fierce battle where it was very clear Magneto was losing. "Boy he's really getting his butt kicked!"

"Oh man," Lance gulped. "Take a closer look at his face…doesn't it look a little…familiar?"

"It can't be…" Pietro gulped. "Can it?"

"What?" Fred asked. "What are you talking about? Who is he?"

"Freddy," Lance gulped. "Take a look down that hole Toad fell in. Is he still there?"

Fred made his way over. He looked down. "I don't see him! Where is…? Oh," He looked up. "Okay it's official, my life has now just become very weird." He winced as he saw the creature blow another blast of fire at Magneto. "Very…very weird…"

Outside the room several Cobra squads readied their rifles. "What's going on in there?" Zartan asked.

"Why don't you go in and take a look?" The Baroness quipped.

The sound of something big and heavy breaking caused Zartan to shudder. "No…I think it's best if we all wait out here!"

"Good plan," Cobra Commander nodded. "Let them fight it out, and whoever wins we kill."

"Unless we kill you," Wanda appeared and used her powers to cause their weapons to explode. Xi attacked several guards as well.

"Isn't anything going right today?" Cobra Commander moaned.

"Sir!" A trooper shouted. "We have reports that a squadron of GI Joe and an unidentified jet are on our doorstep!"

"Oh goody…" Destro said. "Reinforcements!"

"COBRA RETREAT! RETREAT!" Cobra Commander shrieked.

"Let's get out of here!" The Baroness shouted. The Cobras ran for the hills to fight another day.

"Now you understand why Wavedancer wanted us to call for help," Xi told Wanda.

"Yeah she must have figured these snakes would pull something like this!" Wanda shouted. "Let's make sure they don't, shall we?"

"My pleasure!" Xi kicked a Cobra soldier out cold.

Back inside Magneto was now writhing on the floor in pain. "Who…are…you?" He gasped.

The creature did not answer him but prepared for another fire blast. Suddenly Cortez and a woman they had never seen before appeared. "Not today beast!" Cortez shouted. "Get us out of here!" He grabbed Magneto and the woman teleported them away.

"They got a teleporter!" Lance snapped.

"So? Look at what we got?" Pietro pointed. The creature let out a roar of anger and did a circle around the room before landing before them.

"Toad?" Lance gasped as the winged creature landed before them. "Is that you?"

The being gave Lance an interesting look. "I am part of Toad, just as he is a part of me now," He explained in a booming voice. "I am the one who sleeps inside, waiting for my time to awaken. You may call me…Tetsukaeru."

"Sleeping?" Fred asked.

"I am not yet supposed to awaken," Tetsukaeru explained. "It is not my time."

"But you're…here…now?" Pietro blinked.

"Yes," He nodded. "It was the little one's desire to save his friends and her desire to save her family which awakened me," He gently traced a finger on Althea's cheek. "Their bond is what gives me strength. I cannot be without either one of them."

"Uh huh…" Lance nodded numbly. "So are you…stuck like that or not?"

"I cannot stay long. I must return to my slumber and wait for the day when I can be awakened and fully joined with the little one. To remain here would upset the balance of the world."

"O-kay," Fred gulped, still not fully understanding this. "Is Toad gonna remember all this or not?"

"No," Tetsukaeru shook his head. "Although I am aware of him, he is not yet aware of me. I sleep in the darkest corners of his mind away from the conscious and subconscious. In a place where not even dreams may enter. Take care of both of them. Until we meet again."

Then Tetsukaeru was bathed in a golden light. When it subsided, Todd had taken his place. He was sound asleep.

"Okay did anybody get confused by that or was it just me?" Fred asked.

"Things have just gotten weirder around here," Lance moaned. "Okay, nobody mention this to anybody except the adults! Got it?"

"Are you kidding?" Pietro asked. "If we did nobody would believe us! Hell I saw it and I still don't believe this!"

Just then Wanda and Xi ran in. "The Joes and the X-Men are here!"

"That fast?" Lance asked.

"They were already on their way when we called," Xi explained. "Are they…?"

"They're just taking a nap," Fred waved. "They've had a busy day."

"YO…Joe?" Hawk ran in with several Joes with the X-Men. He looked at all the damage around him. "What the…?"

"What took you so long?" Pietro asked.

"Traffic was murder," Shipwreck said. "I see you guys kept busy." He saw that Todd and Althea were unconscious. "Althea! Todd!" He ran over to check on them.

"They're fine," Fred said. "They're just out cold."

"What happened?" Scott looked around and saw the damage. "Did you do this?"

"Well," Pietro pretended to think. "We trashed Cobra's base, destroyed the Pulsar Cannon, stopped Magneto and fought off a synthoid monster. Yeah I'd say we were pretty much responsible for most of the damage."

"Well it sounds like you guys had fun," Bobby sighed. "And we missed all the good stuff!"

"You don't know the half of it kid," Lance grumbled.

It's almost here…the earth-shattering conclusion! Well maybe not earth shattering, but there are a few surprises!