I did the disclaimer in the first chapter so no need for the second. I'd also like to use this space to thank Feather Black. I admit in this chapter Toad/ may seem a bit OOC but It's justifiably and he'll be returning to his old self in the next chapter or so.

He stood there waiting. He didn't know how long but the lights had been off when he got there and by now the current residents were probably already sleeping. To be completely honest he actually preferred it that way. He wasn't especially in the mood to explaining the several marks on his body and why he had come back so late, thought he doubt that anyone would actually care. He'd learned long ago that no one in the brotherhood actually gave a rat's ass about him, with the exception of Freddy occasionally. To them he was just another annoyance that they had to deal with daily. To them he wasn't even worth the time of day 6 out 7 days of the week. Wanda was worst, despite the fact he poured his heart and soul into her and even once went as far as risking his own life just to prove it she regularly hexed him and insulted him. Pietro the self absorbed Albino found it funny every once in a while to shift his bed out of his room and into another state while he slept at night. Tabitha liked to toss her time bombs so that one or two would 'accidentally' land in his mouth when ever he tried to catch flies. And Lance, well Lance was okay so long if avoid his precious jeep. The only reason they ever spoke to him was to insult him or talk about the X-geeks as Pietro so lovingly called them Gathering what little courage he had Todd Grasped the handle and slowly opened the door.

He glanced around and saw no one. Good he thought. He walked in feeling more confident than before and armed with the knowledge that everyone else was still asleep he entered the house. It was just how he had left it more than several hours ago. Some half empty pizza boxes littered the floor, along with some of Lance's 'educational reading material' as he so called it. Todd briefly entertained the thought of Kitty one day finding some of them. The TV was left on; its snowy static slightly illuminated the room.

"Disgusting." He muttered slightly under his breath. Despite what most people thought of him he was actually a quite clean person. Well as clean as someone with a mutation like his could be. He found out along time ago that showering frequently had only mad the smell worse not better. With a sigh he made his way towards the living room.

FLICK.

Half way into the room light flooded the area. Temporarily blind and confused he glanced wildly around the room and spotted the other members of the brotherhood assembled on the base of the stair case and partly in the leaving room.

"Where were you?" Wanda's icy voice asked him. He slightly shivered at her voice and glare

Fuck busted, he thought at the sight. He smiled weakly at the group and tried to think about what to say. Um…Hi…guys…sorry I'm late. He fumbled hoping that would be enough to dissipate the matter. Judging from Wanda's unwavering glare and the looks on the others that would be very unlikely.

"Where were you?" She asked again her voice colder than before and filled with malicious. She looked at him knowingly and her voice laced with accusation.

White filled his vision as he felt a strong wind around him. Pietro's ever taunting voice filled the air around him. "Yeah-Toad-Where-were-you-huh-huh-huh."

He as he ran he didn't notice the younger teen's glare. Maybe it was the talk he had with Nightcrawler earlier. Maybe it was the fact that He envied Quicksilver the most out of everyone, Maybe it was because he was fed up with the way that they had always treated him. Maybe it was none of these or perhaps all of these factors, but what ever the reason uncharacteristically retaliated instead of taking his usually cowardly way and allowing the speedster to do as he pleased...

"None of your business Quicksilver." He spat out with venom that even shocked Wanda, and stuck a foot out and tripped the encircling Quicksilver. A sickening thud was made as Quicksilver hit the wall. He stood up baffled at the events that just happened. The normally easy target of the brotherhood had just tripped him, the magnificent Quicksilver. Shock quickly evaporated and was instantly replaced with unmasked anger. He looked ready to attack him, but saw the murderous glint in his eye. Maybe he had pushed him to far this time. Instead he settled on glaring at him and returned to his position by the stairs.

The others stood there momentarily taken back by the uncharacteristic response from the normally eager to please member of the group. Their brains still trying to comprehend what had just happened only seconds before. Lance shook out of his stupor "Toa…" he started then realized that perhaps that it would be wiser to address him by his real name in spite of the events that had just occurred to Pietro. He cleared his throat and started again. "Todd, Pietro said he saw you go the institute today. Is it true?"

Todd slowly processed the words that Lance had uttered. The blank expression on everyone's face, with the exception of Pietro's glare, told him what words did not. They thought that he had betrayed them. Angered he spat "Yeah it's true. I went to give something back to blue boy. If that's Okay with you." The last part was said with extra venom.

Tabby let out a hollow laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood. "You! Help Blue?" that's a good one. You hate his guts. You rant for hours sometimes about how much you hate him. Kind like Pietro." The others nodded; He like Pietro had never missed the opportunity to rake his rival.

"Well Yeah things can change yo."

"Yeah right!"

"No that any one of you would actually care, but blue boy actually helped me when Mathews and his goons jumped me." He mentally slapped himself for telling them this. They didn't care. "Why am I telling you this? You guys don't care." He pushed his way upstairs and slammed the door to his room. Leaving his housemates trying to figure what had happened that had brought out such a change in him.