Author's note: happy clapping Six reviews!! I win!! ...anyway. Thanks to all who reviewed, I'm sorry to say I am much too lazy at the moment to write individual shout-outy things.

Chapter Four- Rage Isn't A Welcome

Mortimer's ears, although obscured by music, could definitely distinguish the tell-tale creak of the floorboards. Perhaps, he thought to himself, the break-in hadn't been a figment of his imagination.

His finger moved a fraction of an inch to the 'pause' button, and he kept his face as still as possible.

"So zis is your armed and dangerous criminal." Someone with a heavy German accent was standing three feet to his left and four feet back. He could tell his position by the sound he made as he shifted weight.

Heh. A man didn't become a highly skilled assassin by not knowing his surroundings well.

"Shh." Came another voice. A woman's. "You don't want to wake him." It said. His insides were lit on fire as well as frozen at the same time. He knew that voice. It had been the last thing he had heard before....he mentally shook himself.

"Yes, I'm sure he iz a cannon ready to be let off." He could sense the playful smile on the man's lips. His golden eyes snapped open, and he sprung, knocking down the man.

"You betcha," he grunted. "Why if it isn't my favorite X-Woman? I woulda' baked a cake if I knew you were coming." He said with a sardonic grin. He jumped across the living room, sticking to the wall. "Come to finish me off?" he asked.

"Professor Xavier wants to speak with you." She said, trying to remain calm. She hadn't remembered the Toad acting so...human? Human. Yes, that was the word.

"Old Chuck? How's he doing anyway? I hoped ya didn't think I'd fancy coming down with you? Seeing as you and your righteous X-Men had left me for dead? I'll stay here, thanks." He grunted. His eyes darted to the man, who was getting up. He had delivered quite a strong blow to the man's chest- not quite enough to kill him; but he should have bruised a few ribs.

"If you don't come peacefully, we'll have to take you by force." Said Storm quietly.

"Whatcha gonna do? Sic blue boy over there on me? I doubt you can do your weather magic in here, can you, love?" he jumped on to the floor, maintaining a defensive stance.

"Should I get him?" asked Kurt, clutching his side.

"Don't worry," she said. "You just stay where you are." She said.

"Who're you talking to? Him or me?" he said, walking forward casually.

Storm's hand traveled ever slowly and ever closer to the dart gun on her belt. One move, and that would be it. "This is your last warning, Toad." She said. "Come peacefully, or we'll have to take you by force."

Mortimer's fierce golden eyes faltered for a moment, and suddenly met hers, anger and disbelief pulsing through them. "Someone was snoopin' around my head last night. It was Chuck, wasn't it? You've been keeping a monitor on me, huh? Making sure the little toad is behaving hims..." Mortimer never finished that sentence. He himself blamed it on the dart sticking painfully in to his neck. The last thoughts coursing through his mind were reveling on his absolute stupidity, and amazement. The witch had killed him again.

Ororo stalked over to the fallen figure, scooping him up with ease. She had expected a man of his strength to be much heavier. "Are you all right Kurt?" she asked her friend worriedly.

"Yes." He said, clutching his side a bit as the walked up to the Blackbird. "I'll be fine." Ororo strapped their prisoner in to one of the seats in the next row back.

"Kurt? I'd like it if you would stay back there with him. If he shows any sign of waking, tell me, alright?" the man nodded, and sat next to the sleeping passenger.

They were almost back to the mansion when Kurt saw the man next to him stir. His eyes were screwed up as if in some tremendous pain. He moaned softly. "P-please..." he muttered. "N-not again...p-please leave me alone." His voice sounded tense and frightened. He gave a few weak attempts to struggle against the restraints on his seat, and then suddenly, his whole body gave a great shudder- and he went silent again, though the troubled expression did not leave his face. "I think he's waking up," said the Nightcrawler, slightly shaken.

"Doesn't matter," said Ororo with a happy sigh. "We're here."

Mortimer's eyes slowly blinked open. His eyes were covered in haze, and his head pounded softly. Nothing seemed right. He tried to brush the droplets of sweat off of his forehead, but found he couldn't. His was secured by each joint to a medical feeling table- and saw an IV poking in to his arm. The memories suddenly came flooding back.

He had suspected that he had died back in his apartment. He had used darts more than once in his lifetime- and had been told that if he got even as much as pricked with one of those things- he'd go to sleep and never awaken.

Everything was now coming in to focus; he was in a white room; possibly a medical bay. They had removed his shirt, and dozens of electrodes had been pressed against his skin. Two lay on his temples. Where each one lay, he felt his skin burning and tearing. Suction nor rubber were good for his extremely sensitive skin.

"Mortimer," came a familiar voice. The voice he had heard in his head one night ago. "Glad to see you're awake."

"What do you want?" he hissed through his teeth. He hated being so trapped like this. He also hated the fact that he couldn't see the person addressing him. His neck was held down by a restraint.

"You are among friends, Mr. Toynbee." Said the voice, adopting a soothing tone.

"Is that so? Do you usually strap your guests down to the point of no movement?"

"We had to take precautionary measures, considering your display back in New York."

"Which one?" he asked, a sneer pulling at the points of his lips. Xavier ignored him.

"Mortimer, I had a vision about you last night. You were being attacked."
"I was being attacked. By you, and whatever crony you sent to try to strangle me." He said angrily.

"Who attacked you?" said Xavier, suddenly worried.

"Blonde kid. Fast." He grunted.

"I am sorry for the pain I caused you last evening, but I had to make sure my assumptions had ground..."

"What assumptions?" he snarled. "Who says you can go sifting through my mind whenever you want?"

"Mr. Toynbee, I believe that there is someone after your life." Said the professor, becoming annoyed.

"You mean besides for that white-haired git?" he said, snorting. Once again, Xavier chose to ignore him.

"I believe a woman, known as Fear, has taken quite a liking to you. And that might prove deadly, Mortimer." He said solemnly.