"We have to talk." Mystique looked down at Toad.

"'Bout what, love? Can't you see I'm engaged?" She looked at him, silently scolding his incompetence.

"I see that you're..." she paused and sneered at him, "...otherwise involved... but I happen to be more important. And, your life is at stake." She watched him raise his head to see her face fully, but the look on his face was not scared or threatened. It was that same annoyingly smug expression that he was famous for.

"Me life, you say?" Mystique nodded. "Then I suppose I should listen, eh?" He positioned himself in front of her like a little kid ready for story-time, grabbing the ends of his feet and rocking back and forth. Mystique sighed exasperatedly and gestured to him with her index finger before she turned on her heel.

"Follow me."

Toad followed the blue mutant for a while until they came to familiar territory. He felt the sudden urge to break her neck as he watched her gracefully turn around to meet his gaze.

"I thought we could talk here, seeing as you like it so much." Toad glared daggers at her.

How dare she! This is my place! He narrowed his eyes in anger and restrained himself from whipping out his tongue and flinging her into a jagged rock. She better have a bloody good reason for this.

Mystique noted his obvious irritation; she had succeeded in making him angry... quite possibly even murderous. She knew that she was treading on landmines, but she had to know! This was the only way to get him to stay. She didn't care if she hurt him, or made him stronger; he had to stay. She stared at him and gave a mischievous smirk.

"Excellent."

Toad grew angrier. "Yes, bloody good, Mystique." He clapped mockingly. "Now why don't you tell me why the hell you brought me here?" His harsh exclamations only made Mystique smile.

"Oh, Mortimer, you really disappoint me. I don't think you're good enough to be in the Brotherhood. I think you want to leave." Her voice was pure velvet as she spoke, but it cut through Mort like glass.

Mystique stood and waited with lingering impatience. He finally spoke:

"What do I have to do?" His voice cracked slightly and the sarcastic edge had disappeared. So clever of her to bring him to his sanctuary where he always felt disarmed. He held in a shudder as the scaled mutant parted her lips to speak again:

"That's my good Toady."

"You're the devil."

"No. No, you're wrong. That is where you don't grasp the situation, Toad. We are not the devil. All who oppose us are. We are fighting for mutant rights, and you're not gonna fucking help us!"

Her natural blue color prohibited the furious crimson to invade her face, but it was there, and she was definitely angry; she trembled in frustration. Never before had she felt so mad in her life! It's a good thing that she had forgotten how to cry years ago, or else she would be doing so right now—out of anger, of frustration, and most of all, sadness.

Toad... No... it's Mort... Mortimer! But Toad had won. He leaped to where Mystique stood.

"Don't be angry with me, Love. Now tell me... what you got on your mind?"

Mystique's yellow eyes glittered in satisfaction.

He's not going to leave us.