Hello all. Thanks for the reviews, they keep me going. Tell your friends, the more reviews I get, the faster I want to update. OK, now to the story…it's time for the Brotherhood to get together and learn to fight. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 27 – There's no 'I' in Team

NYC, Mickey's School of Boxing, 3 a.m.

The Brotherhood kids were asleep in the room they had been living in for the past week, nestled down on the hard floor in sleeping bags. They had been denied showers for seven days now, lived on two meals a day, and had been training hard under the guidance of the Taskmaster. The past couple of days, he had them work on fighting as a team.

'It's time…' thought the Taskmaster, heading down the dark hall to the room the kids were in. 'Time for a test. Kingpin filled me in on a heist he heard about down in the warehouse district; I think stopping a group of Silvermanes stooges will be a good enough test for these kids. Win or lose, they'll learn something from it.'

He walked into the room, turning the lights on. "Get UP! Form a line, front and center, and shut up." He commanded. The Brotherhood kids, weary from training, and not wanting to draw any punishment from their teacher, complied readily.

"God, you punks stink. Double time, to the locker rooms. You've got ten minutes, hit the showers. Throw your sweats in the trash, they're poisoned beyond washing. GO!" Taskmaster shouted, causing the kids to scramble. Wanda, Tabitha, and Marie-Claire went right to the girls locker; Todd, Lance, St. John, and Pietro went left to the boys locker room. Simultaneously, the kids removed their nasty sweats and jumped into their respective shower rooms. The showers were already running; the water was cold as ice, the soap coarse, but they all relished the water and cleaning.

After about five minutes, the showers shut down. The boys came out of the shower, naked.

"Shit, what are we supposed to wear, yo?" Todd wondered what they were all thinking.

Taskmaster walked in, threw four garment bags on the bench. "Put these on. There should be everything there, skivvies and all. And use the deodorant. We are going on a little ride, and I don't want you to stink up my van. Report to the gym in seven minutes." Taskmaster turned on his heel and left.

Meanwhile

The girls came out of the showers, finding towels and three garment bags on the bench in the locker area. A large note was pinned to one of the bags.

PUT ON THE OUTFITS. EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS IN EACH BAG. YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES. MEET IN THE GYM. WE HAVE A JOB TONIGHT.

"Wonderful. No make-up…" Marie-Claire moaned, holding up a sports bra. "He expects me to fit into this?"

"It will stretch. Come on, hurry up frenchie. We don't wanna be late." Spat Wanda, pulling up her undies.

"At least the outfits are pretty cool looking." Tabby mused.

The girls pulled out form fitting leather and Kevlar body suits, colored black, dark purple, and blood red. Shoes that looked one part military boot and one part athletic shoe came next. Spandex gloves with leather on the palms and knuckles were included. They even found black scrunchies to put their hair up with. Little earpieces like cordless cell phone hands-free units were put on.

"…Hustle up girls. No time to waste. Get in the gym, pronto…" they heard Taskmasters gruff voice in their ears.

"Let's go. I don't want to give that maniac any reason to torture us any worse." Said Wanda, walking to the door.

"Oui. Lets go and zee what he wants, eh?" smiled Marie-Claire. She liked the way her curves were pronounced in the uniform.

"Yeah, lets roll. Maybe we can stop for gut-busters on the way to this 'job'. Nah, forget that…" pined Tabitha, knowing it was a pipe dream.

They trotted into the gym, seeing the boys dressed in outfits similar to their own. Lance, Pietro, and Todd had helmets in addition to the regular gear, and St. John had what looked like scuba tanks on his back.

"You look hot Wanda, yo!" Todd exclaimed.

"Shut up. I do not look hot. I will never look 'hot' to you, idiot." She shot back.

"Line up!" Taskmaster commanded, walking in. "Time to put your training to the test. A force of Maggia thugs are going to trash a warehouse tonight, and it's your task to stop them. You will fight as a team." He addressed Todd, Lance, and Pietro. "You three are the frontline. Hand to hand combined with your mutant abilities; your objective is to take out the leaders quickly." He focused on Lance. "Avalanche, I don't want the warehouse trashed, understand? Use what you have learned in the past week to use your talents in a smart way."

Avalanche nodded, understanding. 'Use your skills to make an opponent lose his balance, then strike your blow. Give your teammates the same advantage.' he heard in his head, remembering what the Taskmaster had taught him about wise use of his power.

"Toad, you are commanding team one. Quicksilver, Avalanche, take your ques from Toad. Are we clear?"

The three boys nodded. Wanda looked at them in amazement. She noticed Todd's eyes had a serious steely look to them. 'Todd? In command?' she wondered, perplexed.

Taskmaster addressed the remaining four. "Pyro, Boom-Boom, Lourde, Scarlet Witch. You four are the long range background team. Your task is to take out any strays the frontline misses, and take out any long range opponents." He turned to St. John and Tabby. "You two are sniper and explosives. Help out Toad's team with accurate take downs and diversions, understand?" The duo nodded, a crazy smile on Pyro's face. "Pyro, same goes for you as for Avalanche. The building must survive." The boy frowned, but nodded.

Taskmaster looked at Lourde and Scarlet Witch.

"You two, assist Toad's team from the flanks, and watch for the unexpected. Witch, you are in command of team two."

Wanda smirked. She knew that already.

Taskmaster stared at her darkly.

'Don't let your anger and attitude chop your own head off.' Wanda heard in her head. Taskmaster had drilled this into her brain the past week, telling her after he had taken her down over and over again. She nodded to him.

Taskmaster nodded back. "I'm not going to save your ass if you screw it up." He spat, turning. "That goes for all of you. You are in this on your own. Remember what I have shown you."

"Taskmaster, sir?" Toad asked. "How many opponents will we have, do you know? Will they have weapons, or powers?"

"Good questions, Toad." Taskmaster moved in front of him. "Ten to fifteen soldiers are average Maggia numbers for a job like this. Powers, I doubt; weapons, I guarantee. Expect anything from an AK-47 down to a billy club."

Toad nodded, grim.

'That boy has a future. Not as dumb as he acts…' thought Taskmaster.

"Lets go. Load into the van out front, prepare your minds as we drive to the location. GO!"

The Institute, Xavier's Office, The Day Before

Pappy and Mally sat in front of the Professor, who was behind his desk. Mally's chin was on his chest, looking down. Pappy's eyes had just gotten as big as saucers.

"Do I be hearin' ye correctly, Gov'nuh?" Pappy breathed. "My boy? And that wee lassie wit the locks of red? I knew they were sweet on each other, but…"

Pappy turned on Mally. "BOY! Ye know better than ta be takin' advantage of the weaker sex as such! What do ye have ta say fer yerself?" he asked, swatting Mally on the back of the head.

"OW, Pappy!" Mally replied, rubbing his noggin. "It's not…it wasn't like that Pa, I swear. I didn't take advantage of Rahne! I just got a little carried away, and so did she." He explained.

"Oh she did, did she?" Pappy exclaimed. "She be like a Siren, I suppose, and ye was powerless to stop yerself?" he mocked. "Come now boy, this is ya Pappy ye be talkin' to. Ye are an O'Bryanson, so I know women find ye irresistible…"

Xavier shut his eyes at that remark.

Pappy continued. "Ya have ta be a gentleman at all times boy, especially with the young ladies!"

Pappy turned to Charles. "Aye, Guv'nuh, thank ye fer bringin' this matter to my attention. Trust me, I'll deal with the boy accordingly."

At the same time, Pappy sent out a thought. 'Can ye hear me Xavier? Wolvie said I could talk to ye like this…'

'Yes, Angus, I can hear you. What is it?' Charles thought back.

'Blimey! This is….er, my boy Mallory, yer not angry with him, too angry, are ye?' asked Pappy. 'He didn't…compromise the poor lassies virtue, did he?'

'No Angus, I am not angry. Mallory is like any other teenager, exploring new feelings blindly. Nor am I angry with Rahne.' Charles told him. '…Perhaps it is time you had a…talk…with Mallory. About…virtue.'

Mally could take no more of the silence, of the two men staring intently at each other.

"Crikey! One of ya punish me or sumthin'! You two are scarin' me!" he yelped.

Pappy turned to him. "Well, laddie, scared are ye? GOOD. Come on boy…" Pappy stood up, grabbing Mally by his ear. Once Mally stood up, he pulled him out of the Professors office. "Many thanks, Guv'nuh. Sorry fer the malady me boy caused."

"No worries, gentlemen. Good day." Xavier said. 'And good luck!' he thought, smiling coyly.

NYC, Warehouse District, 3:40 a.m.

The van had stopped a block away from the warehouse in question. The seven youths moved on foot to the building. Taskmaster had told them he would wait in the van, but was following them without their knowledge.

When the group got to the side door of the warehouse, Quicksilver, first to arrive, noted that the lock had been jimmied.

"They're in." the white haired boy said.

"Good," Toad began, "lets go in. Speedy, do a quick recon to find where they are inside…"

Quicksilver vanished, then re-appeared a second later. "They are in the main area, setting bombs all around. Twelve of them." He reported.

"OK. That's yer job then…gather all the bombs and drop them off the pier while 'Lanche and I and Team Two bust their chops. Got it?" Toad stated.

"Lookit 'General Patton' over here…" Tabby joked. Nobody but Wanda laughed. They were ready to use their new skills, and seemed to accept Toad as a leader.

"Shut up you two," Avalanche said, "lets do this right. I'm tired of being a loser. We got power, lets use it."

Toad nodded. "Thanks, yo. Lets roll."

They entered, moving quietly to the main area inside the warehouse. The thugs were standing in a loose group, nervously talking.

"As soon as Johnny and Fingers get here wit da detonator, we can blow this popcorn stand and take off." Said a big guy with greased back hair, who seemed to be in charge. "I wish they'd hurry da fuck up."

"Me too, Vinny." Replied a ratty looking thug, cleaning his fingernails with a switchblade. "Sumtin' don't feel right 'bout dis night." He said shaking his head.

"Nuttin' wrong with the night, yo. Except you guys…" Toad said quietly.

He walked out with Avalanche to his right, Quicksilver to his left.

"Who da fuck are yous guys?" The big thug shouted. "Don't tell me there's a new team of super kiddie good guys loose! Jeesh!"

"Oh no, we ain't the good guys, yo…" Toad stated. "GO!"

Quicksilver disappeared, running about collecting the bombs then running them out to the pier to dump. Flashes of him materialized here and there. Boom-Boom and Pyro lit up the night with scattered explosions and ropes of flame, making the thugs dive for cover. Scarlet Witch hexed any thug in sight, making their actions have strange results. One thug tried to shoot Lourde with pistol, only to have the gun explode, frying his hand. Lourde flattened him instantly, then turned and flattened a thug who was sneaking up on the Scarlet Witch from behind.

Wanda looked behind her, then back at Marie-Claire. "Merci." She said. Marie-Claire nodded, smirking. "Thank you too."

Avalanche was having fun tripping up thugs then pounding them with his fists and feet…until the thug named Vinny shot him. The Kevlar in his uniform saved him, but it still knocked him out for a bit. Toad jumped to Vinny and the ratty thug were, kicking the gun out of the crooks hand as he landed.

"He better not be hurt, you bastard!" Toad shouted, flying at the man with precise kicks. Toad shot out his tongue, wrapped it around his neck, and pulled the mans head into a powerful round kick.

"Lights out, yo!" Toad shouted as the thug slumped.

"Vinny's not the one you should worry 'bout, punk…" the ratty mobster said, tossing the switchblade from hand to hand. All of a sudden, the switchblade disappeared.

"What da fuck?" the rat wondered.

Quicksilver appeared next to Toad, closing up the knife. "Seems fair now. Kick his ass, Toad. I got all the bombs out."

"Go check on Avalanche, Quicksilver. See how the others are doing. GO!" Toad commanded. Quicksilver disappeared.

"'Toad'? Freakin' 'Quicksilver'? You kiddin' me? You ain't nuttin' but a bunch of mutant punks, dressed up fer fuckin' Halloween, playin' Superman. Come, on little boy, try an kick my ass. Dumbfuck! Stupid MUTANT PUNK!" Ratty screamed. He rushed Toad.

Toad spit his goo on the thugs face, blinding him.

"STUPID? No more asshole!" Toad smashed him on the head, smiling.

"DUMBFUCK? No, no, nooooo!" Toad kicked the man savagely in the gut.

"LITTLE BOY, YO?" Toad laughed evilly as he kicked at the thugs knee, breaking it.

"MUTANT? HELL YEAH, YO!" Toad screamed, crying out as his kick audibly cracked the thugs ribcage. The man collapsed, out.

Toad turned around to check on the others. The gangsters that were not unconscious were inside a ring of flame, looking like standing was the hardest thing in the world. The skin on their faces was rippling downwards. Pyro stood next to a grinning Lourde, laughing maniacally. Avalanche was leaning on Quicksilver, holding his side, but smirking. Scarlet Witch and Boom-Boom walked up to Toad.

"Toad, you OK…?" Boom-Boom asked.

"Yo. Knock out the rest of those bozos with a bomb, Boom-Boom. Then were getting' the hell outta here." Toad replied, walking to the exit.

Boom-Boom looked at the Scarlet Witch with a questioning look.

"You heard the man. Do it." Scarlet Witch said, following Toad.

Just as Toad got to the door, two more thugs came thru it.

"Hey, Vinny, we brought da deton- hey who do fuck are you, kid?" the thug shouted.

Jumping up, Toad preformed a scissor kick, smashing each mobster on the side of the head, knocking them cold.

Up on the roof of the warehouse, looking down thru a skylight, the fearsome face of the Taskmaster looked down on the happenings. Smiling behind the mask, he disappeared into the darkness.

the end

Chapter 28 – Crimes and Punishments