The X-Dorks belong to Marvel.

A.N. I haven't updated in a while, but I have an excuse! I wrote a one-shot Toad fic called 'Poor Kid...' It's pretty bad, but if you'd like to humor me it has many embarrassing childhood Mort stories in it.

Chapter 15: A Child

Doria and Logan turned. There stood the Incredible Nightcrawler, half-sobbing and panting with a vengeful look in his eyes. "Vat sort of creature does zat to a person?" he whispered murderously through tears, "She has nothing now! She isn't a mutant! She isn't a human! You've left her stuck in a horrible limbo of nothingness!" He edged towards them, a glare in his tear filled eyes. "Did you know?" He bamfed so that he was next to the bike. "I," He teleported to the other side of the bike, grabbed Zap's shoulders, and flipped her over him so that she could barely land on her feet. "LOVED," In a bamf, he was back at the bike, taking an in-air kick at Wolverine's face. "HER!"

Wolverine and Zap went into battle stances on either side of the distraught teleporter. "Kurt," said Logan, "it's not like she's dead. You could still love her. Don't make us hurt you."

"She might as vell be dead. Now you, Logan. You are just a traitor." He whipped out a pistol, and took a clear shot at Wolverine's head. The brute of a man fell, and Kurt dropped the gun.

"Logan!" Doria shouted.

Nightcrawler turned to her. "But you! You are a monster!" He bamfed around her quickly, taking shot after shot. She couldn't block him quick enough! She pulled a backflip out of his current circle, and tried to get enough concentration to pull a general target, but as soon as she'd flipped away, he was on her again. He's upset. The thought dawned on her suddenly, as she took another kick to the back. It's enhancing his powers. She couldn't take him much longer.

"GE' THE FUCK OFF MY DAUGHTER!" Zap smiled a bit, then fell to the ground unconscious.

Nightcrawler looked at Toad, still blind with anger and sorrow. "So. Ze creature vas raised by a creature." He grinned and Mort twitched.

"Don' plague my daughter with 'er father's curse."

"She's done it herself!" The blue man bamfed to the green one and started taking sparatic blows. Toad fought valiently for a while, but found, as Zap had, that Nightcrawler's powers were irratic from his emotions. He tried to slide and get at his legs, but as soon as he was close to the ground, his opponent was above him with a three toed foot to Mort's throat.

Mort watched in horror as the man openly sobbed above him, pressing his foot harder into the green throat. He's going to kill me. Thought Toad offhandedly. He looked down the road, then up at Kurt. Reaching up, he took a gentle hold of the small cross hanging from Nightcrawler's belt, and rubbed his thumb over it. "Tell me, Kurt," he choked out, "do you fear God?"

The pressure let up a little. "Vat?"

"Can I tell you a secret?" Kurt looked at him with utter confusion. "I don't." Zap stood, and dove into Kurt Wagner's brain without a second thought. He stood there, frozen, then crumpled half-heartedly.

Why didn't I just kill him? Doria wondered as she combed his brain. I guess I just want to see... I want to see what it's like... Agony. Mental agony overtook her as she explored the emotional sensories. Such pain. Her father watched as she sobbed. She fought her way through the pain. Back, back, back. Back in time. Warm. And fluttery. It's like... an endless field of energy. It's... love. Yes, I think that's it. It's love. She fell down into a sitting position, and looked at her father sadly. "Daddy? What did I do?"

Kurt's eyes pleaded as he looked at her from the ground. "Can you help her?"

"No. I wasn't thinking. I just... I guess I..." She buried her face in her knees. "I broke her!" She looked down at her hands. "I'm a monster. What have I done with these hands in my life? How many people mourned their loved ones because of me? You all must hate me."

Mort's heart fell into his stomach. Pity for the poor girl, and amazement at her maturity filled his eyes. He squatted down to her height. "C'mere, love." She eyed him suspiciously, a hint of fear in her eyes. She held her hands together tightly. "You're no' gonna 'urt me. You won't 'ave to 'urt anyone again, if you don' wan' to. Ever." After a second, a small tear ran down her nose. Just one. Just one little tear of relief was all she allowed herself. She scooted into her father's arms, and he held the fragile soul tightly, and kissed her on the head. "Never, never, never. Never will I 'ate you."

No, Mystique. You were wrong. She is still a child. She's just been forced to grow up so fast. We all are. Whether it's because you're rejected, beaten, or forced to fight, we all grow up too fast. Children are rejected, and it kills their youth. Children are beaten, and they lost their smiles. Children kill, and it hardens them. Children have children, and you can never go back. All you can do is watch that child, and see them grow up too fast as well. This angel I hold in my arms is a child. She's my child. And I'm her Daddy.

l-l-l-

Fin.