By Maikafuiniel
Chapter 6
In a battle between you and the world… bet on the world.
Magneto watched through the glass as the newly created Mortimer Toynbee went through major brain surgery. From what Mastermind had told him, the boy was good and done. He remembered being Todd Tolansky… and yet only being referred to as Mortimer Toynbee. He would never forget that he was Todd, it made up too big of a part of him. Of course when Magneto had been told this he had been angry… to a slight degree. There was one thought that made him secure in the knowledge that he was getting the best help he could right now though; he knew that if Mastermind couldn't do it then it was likely that nobody could. Not even Xavier.
After Mastermind had come out of the room, tired and ready to collapse, Magneto had taken Mortimer to the medical bay where he told one of his doctors that Mortimer, a new recruit, had been rescued from a mob. Of course the damage to his mind would be extensive if counted on top of his new powers, and so the only thing that would save him was the chip.
The doctor, knowing Magneto was lying but also knowing that he would be dead were he to question the evil masterminds plots, began the brain surgery immediately. That was three hours ago.
Now Magneto stood watching as the doctor and his nurses walked out of the room, leaving the young boy to his rest. That is, that's where he was standing until a young lady walked up to him. "That's him," he said quietly, "Mortimer Toynbee."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Simple cosmetics. Give him a hair change. Make it look natural. Something he can easily take care of, and won't make him look like a different person all together when it grows out or changes naturally."
"That's not an easy thing to do," the blonde said, "But I'll give it a shot. You sure you want this all done when he's unconscious?"
"When he wakes up," Magneto explained, "I want him to look in the mirror and see a new person looking back. He's had… a rough time back home."
She looked at him through the glass for a moment, a motherly smile on her face. "Poor boy… I'm glad we have a new recruit of course, but still…"
"I understand," Magneto said with an almost invisible smile, "But with our care he'll become the mutant he was meant to be. Now get to it."
She walked into the room and began preparing her equiptment, but Magneto didn't stay to watch. Brain surgery, sure. Watching a woman have a go at a boy's hair? Not so fun.
With that he walked away, into what the younger members liked to call the lounge.
Everybody jumped up when they saw him walk in, and he smiled… he loved this. He loved knowing that he was in charge. That he was boss. Finally.
"I have an announcement," he said loudly, and any hint of attention placed elsewhere was moved to him. "Earlier today, a new mutant arrived. Mortimer Toynbee. He'll be joining us from the infirmary tomorrow. He is the latest, and quite frankly the most useful mutant I've ever met."
The looks of 'why' passed through the crowd, and Magneto continued onwards, "He has the power to block telepathy," the metal man said; some smiled in happy surprise, though some were still confused. "He has the power to block Xavier."
"It's just so hard to believe," Scott said sadly, from his place at the dinner table, "I mean, I never liked him or anything, but I always got the idea that if he just had a chance at being good…"
"And we never gave it to him…" Kitty said, just as sadly. "At least if he had been given a choice. I hated him too, but what if it was just because, like, we were enemies? What if he had been some totally different person, like, if he had joined us instead of the Brotherhood?"
"Don't you lot remember?" Jean interrupted, a scowl set on her face, "We did give him a chance to decide! He made his decision, and that shows just what kind of a guy he is. Sure, I'm sad he's gone as well… Nobody deserves to die, but it was his choice! It's not like we could have changed it."
The older mutants nodded, while the younger ones looked around in curiosity. They had given Toad a chance to join the X-Men? When had this been?
Kurt's eyes flashed for a moment as he too remembered, "Ja," he said, "I remember that. It was the same day I joined, he ran off. Vat a baby…"
"Don't say that Kurt," came the sudden voice of Professor X, followed closely by Wolverine, "It was more my fault then his; do you remember at all just why he was running around terrified?"
"Nein," Kurt replied in confusion, while everyone else watched in interest.
"He was one of the first of your generation I asked to join, barring Jean and Scott of course," the Professor explained, "And for a while I'm afraid I had fallen into Magneto's way of thinking. I wanted to help people- but only those who could help me. I was, for all intents and purposes, creating an army. Toad's reaction, of course, showed me the error of my ways, and I went back to simply letting any mutant who needed to come, come."
"What happened?" Jamie asked, his eyes wide.
"Well," the older man explained carefully, "I thought to test him first. He wasn't any more then 16 at the time, and had never been in any real danger before as far as I could see. Scott had talked to me before hand, and we had both asked him to come to the institute…"
His voice trailed off, the younger boys and girls were obviously wanting to hear more, and even the older recruits were interested. Nobody had ever really gotten the whole story- only Storm and the Professor knew it. "And then?" Jamie asked, "What happened then?"
"As soon as he came onto the grounds we attacked him without warning. I had Storm shoot at him with lighting, to see how he reacted. Obviously it was badly, and I don't blame him at all… he was invited here, and we attacked him."
Everybody was silent for a moment, digesting this information. Finally Cannonball said, "Am I glad you didn't do that to me," with a slight frown, "I might have run off too…"
"My point exactly." The Professor said, "It wasn't his fault, and all he did was join the only other group available. As far as he could tell, at least at first, he was only protecting himself."
There was a long pause.
"So," Scott said uncomfortably, "You've been on Cerebro then? Have you found him, or is he really…" he gulped, "you know?"
The professor shook his head sadly. "I looked and looked… but I can't find his mind anywhere. Unless he managed to steal Magneto's helmet, which I much doubt, Todd Tolansky is dead."
Everybody was quiet for a moment, but the sound of screeching forced them all to look at Wolverine. "So?" the older man said, "Are we gonna' eat dinner or what?"
The living room was fairly dark. As usual, the shades were drawn. It was about four o'clock and he'd just come home. From work as a roofer. His face was tanned and leathery. A beer can in his hand.
"Yeah, so what?" My father's voice. Raspy and cold. He sat on the couch, where he spent most of his time. Even spent the night there, too, now. With empty, tired eyes he stared at the TV. He had the scanner on as well. Tuned to a police band. Spouting a stream of mundane reports.
I spoke cautiously. "Well, it's like an honour," I said, "I mean, the committee picked my drawing out from hundreds of entries. Just something I sketched during art class. I had no idea it would make the state show."
I was hoping he would take me to the prizewinners' reception that weekend. Stupid. It wasn't like it was a big deal. But it would have been okay.
"Do you get prize money?" he grumbled casually, not even turning to look at me.
"No," I said, knowing that this would be the end of the conversation.
"No? So then what's it worth? If it won't help pay the bills, what good is it?" He glanced at me patronizingly, then back to the TV. "When I was about your age I had a job. At this car lot. Washing the cars. All the money went to my mother. It was tight…" He broke off and leaned back on the couch.
I stood there at the foot of the stair, unable to move. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. Couldn't show him that.
I told myself, 'No big deal, Morty. Just some dumb drawing. No big deal.
To him I said, "Yeah, well, it was just an idea."
No answer.
I dragged myself upstairs to my room. Walked across to the window. I could cry up here where no one would see.
Stupid to cry.
Then, through blurry eyes I watched a car pull up to a house across the street. A mom and daughter got out. Walked together to the front door. The little girl was carrying a page smeared with finger paint, crumpling it a little as she walked. The mother stopped, took the picture from her daughter, and carried it into the house like it was the Mona Lisa.
It was like someone had set out to shove my life in my face. "Here, Morty, take a look. Take a look at your life, and at the lives of normal kids. Take a good long look.
I was a freak. I was alone.
Where would my strength come from?
I raised a hand to brush away the tears.
A hand that was… fingers that were…
Green.
Webbed.
I whipped around to face the mirror. Round, swampy eyes stared back at me.
Woo! I would like to note first that I got the above bit, (or at least a great deal of it) from Animorphs #33, then altered it too fit Toad.
Well, who to dedicate this chapter to? :) I figure that since we delved a bit into Toad's past (or least this stories version of it) I would as well! So, to ldypebsaby I dedicate this chapter! My first Morty reviewer! Congrats ldypebsaby, and keep up the reviewing!