My thanks to:

GottaLoveIt : Thanks for your review. I'd say i updated quickly. I hope i didn't leave you in suspense for to long. Have you reviewed my story before or is this the first time? I can't remember many names because i've been away for so long.

Made of the Mer : Mmmmmm thanks for the muffin. Since you didn't say what kind it was i made sure it was double chocolate chip. I hadn't updated my story for months but thanks to your sudden review it made me feel guilty and i just had to write more. And since i wrote more it made me want to write even more! So thanks for the push start.

Nyltiak : Yes i love the Toad action more than anything! I'm making sure there is a lot of it in thenext chapters! I'm glad to be back. So how often do you change your name? You've been LostMuse99, Crows Quill, and now Nyltiak. Hey are you still writing your Lack of Fear Part II story? I havn't been around for awhile so i havn't checked.

Enjoy the next chapter!

Pain in the Neck

Bobby's POV

I liked being considered part of the x-team, but I was very relieved when the fighting was over. I don't like warfare on my own territory; it adds a certain intensity that makes me feel more panicky and desperate.

I was checking to make sure the younger kids were alright when I felt there was something wrong. It almost felt like a presence had left the building, but I knew I was just going for emotional trip. Never the less, I couldn't rid myself of that uneasy and I went in search of the Professor. He was in the first level directing the children on how to assist Storm, who was lying on the ground with a broken foot.

"Professor, can you do a head count? I think there may be some people missing," I said, interrupting him.

Professor Xavier wordlessly nodded and closed his eyes to concentrate. When his lids slowly opened up again I could tell something was wrong.

"They have Scott, Toad, and Marina."

Marina. Why did I always known when she came or went. It was a freaky mystery that I planned on figuring out the next time I found her. When I meant next time I meant, I wouldn't let them take Marina away from me. Not until I found out what our connection was. I had no gifts like the Professor's so I know that can't be the problem.

"I'll get a team together," said the Professor, looking down at Storm. I opened my mouth to speak but he answered before he heard a word. "Yes Bobby, you may go with them this time. As you can see, we are already a few short. Now go get Logan for me. He's on the second level." I grinned and ran upstairs to get Logan. The sooner we were gathered together, the sooner we could get Marina back.

"Do you have any idea where they may have been taken?" asked Storm. She sat with her leg propped up on a coffee table, a white cast on her left leg.

"None what-so-ever. I'm not sure how he's done it, but Ken has yet again managed to hide their whereabouts. I have searched cerebrum many times but it's been fruitless," Confessed Xavier, shaking his head sadly.

"Than what are we going to do about it?" I snapped, unable to contain myself any longer. Logan looked at me with a raised eyebrow but said nothing. The Professor also kept quite but shook his head slowly. The room was so quite that we were startled when there was a quick knock on the door.

"Come in Rogue," The Professor called. The door creaked open and Rogue slowly entered the room, her head down and her hair hanging messily in her eyes. She stood in front of them quietly for a moment with out saying anything.

"I-I may know where Ken's taken the others," she said quickly.

"Where?" I asked, jumping from my seat. As the minutes ticked by I found myself more and more urgent to find the water angel.

"I may be wrong. But I absorbed many things from his associate. I have a good idea of many places he could have taken Scott and Marina."

"And Toad," added Professor Xavier. Rogue just made a face and didn't repeat what he said. I couldn't agree more with her. I don't know why the Professor and Marina were so nice to the slimy creature.

"So can I give it a go?" asked Rogue timidly. The Professor smiled kindly at her.

"Lead the way."

Marina groaned and rolled over, trying to ignore the throbbing in the side of her neck. She wanted the pain to disappear to let her sleep for a little while longer. It was only then that she remembered something. She never sleeps. Marina gasped and sat up, wincing at the pain in her neck. She was about to morph to relieve the pain but remembered what had happened last time she did it without looking.

"Go ahead luv, no one but yoah fellow freak watchin ya," I heard Toad say behind me. I morphed the pain away quickly and then turned to face Toad.

"So you're caught too, eh?"

"Nah, this is just an optic allusion tah trick yoah mind inta thinking I'm real," said Toad, his yellow eyes shining at me. I laughed and rolled my eyes at his cynical remark. My smile quickly faded when I remembered Scott. I looked across the room to see Scott lying limply on the floor. I scrambled to get over to him.

"They bunged 'im up pretty bad. 'e will be out for a while yet," commented Toad, following Marina with his eyes. Marina sighed and looked at her surroundings. They were in a cavern type area made of hard gray rock. Marina sat herself down beside Toad but he slowly edged away from her.

"What's the matter? Don't like physical contact?" she teased, leaning so her shoulder rubbed against his.

"No I don't," snapped Toad, edging away from Marina even more. She decided to drop the subject and not move any closer to him. Her eyes once again scanned their rocky cage.

"So I don't suppose there is anyway out?" asked Marina. Toad shrugged his shoulders and repeated Marina's action, scanning the roof.

"Don' know. I 'avn't check the place out yet. I got to much bloody pain in me neck to bother doin it."

Marina reached over and began to massage Toad's neck but he yelped and jumped away. "Don' do that!"

"Boy when you said you don't like any physical contact you sure meant it," said Marina, a grin growing on her face. Toad glared at her and his face scrunched up making him look even uglier than he already was.

"Look princess I don' mind ya bein happy but now ain't the time to play games."

Marina opened her mouth but closed it a loud groan echoed in the cavern. Marina searched to see what wild creature had been released into their jail, but realized that it had come from the injured x-man.

"Scott, how you feeling?" asked Marina, running up to him.

"I-I-I-I c-can't move," stuttered Scott, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Great 'e is bloody paralyzed," groaned Toad.

"A-a-am not. I c-can move but it…hurts," said Scott wincing at an attempt to move. Marina slowly checked all the boned in his body. At first she thought it was his legs but suddenly realized something. One of Scott's arms was shorter than the other.

"You aren't paralyzed Scotty. Your collar bone is broken." Scott groaned and closed his eyes. Marina helped him lie flat on his back to make him more comfortable. "Try to sleep Scotty, Toad and I will look around." As soon as Marina said it, she realized the Scott had already closed his eyes and was snoring softly.

"Is 'e gonna be right?" asked Toad, leaning against the wall.

"I'm not sure," Marina whispered. "We have to get the collar bone fixed soon or else he may always be that way. I also think he may be bleeding internally." Toad didn't say anything but his eyes darted to Scott, and Marina was convinced she saw worry in his large eyes. "Come on 'T'; let's check out this cage of ours. I don't know about you but I distinctively feel a breeze." Marina almost grabbed for the green mutants hand but she pulled away just before making contact. She was always comforted by touch so it was hard being comforted when the only person awake was so touchy (pun intended).

Together they walked in the direction of the breeze until they came to a tinier whole that they would have to crawl through. Marina looked over at Toad, and he looked back and nodded.

"I'll go," he muttered before crawling through the whole. Marina watched until his feet diapered around a bend.

"See anything?" she called down the hole. She could hear her voice echo through the enclosed space. Toad's voice echoed right back to her.

"We're in a cave."

"Then we can get out?" Marina asked, her voice filled with hope.

"Nah, dis ain't no normal cave, luv. They gots the entrance rigged. Walk frew theah and we'll be blowin tah pieces." Marina's heart dropped. When she heard the scrape of Toad's body making its way back out, she turned and walked back into the larger room to check on Scott. Toad re-entered, rubbing his sore neck as he came.

"We ain't got a way out 'less death is an option," he said.

"It isn't," Marina snapped back, shooting him a death glare (that pun wasn't intended).