This chapter, due note, is a little forced and a little rushed. There is lots of bonding but there is a lot of scar stories but this tiem on Toad! Sound like fun...

Okay, shout outs:

Mareo and Anime: Don't worry, the fight scenes aren't changing. Well, you'll see what Todd got from X23 in this chapter.

Lecheecopea: Well, i guess i'll just have to teach you how to write fight scenes.Don't use a baseball bat...use a cricket bat or a piece of 4x4. they hirt more :) okay you have asked for it. (Lycurgus cuddles up in Lecheecopae's lap while Seraph hugs her and Lycurgus.)

pauloj1983: Well, this chapter has more fluff than fighting but i hope you like it. The issue of Katie being alive or dead is somethign that keeps coming up and is questioned who is responsible. but it is a good twister

Scars of a Toad

Todd leaped upright in a sitting position like a vampire, the frigid air making his green body shudder at the lack of moisture. Todd quickly scanned the immediate area and saw he was in the X-Men's infirmary. There was a blanket covering his waist and lower body and by the looks of it had been cover his chest. Groaning tiredly, Todd cracked his neck audibly and glanced around the room to see Kale opposite him, his bare scared chest in all it's horrific glory.

Even from where he sat Todd could tell that his brother had a fair bit of recovery to do and would be out of it for a while. Todd shook his head again and this time he realized that he didn't have a shirt on. Lifting the blanket up, Todd breathed a sigh of relief that he still had his pants on.

Todd slowly lifted the blanket off of his body and swung his legs over the side of the edge of the bed, his long legs allowing his bare feet to touch the floor. Sighing, Todd pulled his hair back behind his head and using an elastic band on his wrist, tied his long green hair back into a small ponytail.

Glancing down at his chest, Todd couldn't help but look at his scar cover body. His upper body wasn't buffed out like Kale's but he was lean and long and had a slight six pack to show for it; not to mention the scars that littered across his chest and back, giving an idea that he had seen what the real world was like.

Separating his ribs from his upper chest was a long cord burn that wrapped around to his back. He had matching burns on his arms just under his shoulders and the three burns hadn't been deep but they had been painful. He had cables wrapped around his chest and arms to hold a school bus from toppling down a cliff with Kale, who just had one arm wrapped with cable, the painful strain no different.

In-between the cord burn and his collar bone, two pairs of stab mark where on either side of his chest. Just below his left shoulders was a long, thin slash mark which stopped mid chest and half way down his back. He had matching stab marks above and below his stomach, barely missing any of his organs.

He had been escorting a weapon specialist when the clone of Wolverine, X23, attack them and Todd held her off long enough for the scientist to get away. In one furious and fluid motion she stabbed in the four spots and Todd kicked her out a window, six stories above the ground. He collapsed from the pain as operatives from the Hassassins Blade picked him up.

Around his neck was a series of tiny slices that were all interconnect and Todd winced as he rubbed them, the phantom pain searing across his chest. This had to be the worst scar he had all over his body, purely from the fact that the inflicting attack hadn't been physical but mental and it was the last time he had every truly forced his mental stamina to resist the pain being inflicted; except for tonight.

He had to fight Mindscape when he and Kale escaped from the Genesi Squad and he had lost badly. Using her telekinesis, Mindscape tore Todd's chest open by making all the tiny blood vessels on his upper chest explode. She then threw him into the rapids, thinking he was dead.

Across his stomach was a long diagonal cut that wrapped around to his back. When Kale had taken him to Japan to visit Yukiko, his best friend in Japan, and Tattoo, they had been attack by a group of ninja's that were lead by Alex Te. Todd took a slash to his stomach for Kale and killed the ninja with his own sword.

The other scars where the odd stab and bullet wound that danced from all over his body; everywhere, on his legs, arms, stomach and chest where signs he had been shot. Todd turned his head to his side and looked down his back, his scars just as aggressively present and horrifically down; his second tattoos where probably the only thing he didn't mind being etched on his skin.

He had no idea how he had gotten the tattoo but when he woke up from being thrown in the rapids and was taken in by a family, he saw that it was on him. He stayed with the family for a short while and saved the daughter from a bear, but left a month after they rescued him. Todd sent them a thank you letter with ten thousand dollars as a way to show his appreciation, the least he could do.

Spanning across his shoulder and the back of his neck was a pair of tribal angel wings spread out across his skin. About a millimeter left of his spinal cord lay a wicked slash, with jaggedly danced down in between the wing and to the bottom of his spine. He knew he was lucky not to be paralyzed, that the energy blade barley missed his spinal nerves. The cut connected nicely with the slash wrapped around his right ribs.

Kale had insisted that the people being held captive were set free from the Hassassin's Blade and the Genesi Squad tried to stop them; they didn't think that they should leave because it was all they knew and wanted Kale and Todd to stay. Psyche Claw had returned and turned everyone against them.

After slicing Kale's back open, Psyche Sickle was stopped by Todd and sliced him down the back. He had just barely missed Todd's spine and Kale had gotten up in time, throwing their enemy throw a wall.

The worst scar, the one he would never be able to cover with a shirt or push out of his mind was what happened to Katie, the day he lost her. Todd shook his head, his ponytail flickering him on either side while he took deep breaths to fight back the memories that threatened to over take; he didn't want to see them and he didn't want to remember them right now. He would later anyways…

Todd grunted as he stood up and gentle felt his ribs, an irritating tingling dancing under his hand. Bruised ribs, they nearly cracked them from Kale's punch. Todd knew he was really luck to have withstood as much as he did when Kale come out of the gate, refusing to hold back.

Todd quietly walked to Kale's resting form and gently clasped his shoulder, his cold webbed hand warmed by the scorching skin of his brother. The heat that radiated from his body wasn't unknown to him, a side effect of the Dragon Flame experiment was that Kale could keep himself warm or use that warmth to heat others, lowering his temperate to a deathly level.

"Get up soon, bro." Todd softly said, squeezing Kale's shoulder as his face broke into a smirk. "You need to as well for that date with Rahne, yo."

Todd was sure if it was the lingering pain but he thought he saw Kale relax a little bit and a ghost of smile on his face. Giving another gentle squeeze, Todd walk to the door and waited as they opened. Todd silently made his way down the hallway and made his way to a near door, rubbing his bare arms.

When the door opened, Todd stepped in to the empty cylinder space and let the lift carry him up through the sublevels. Todd groaned as the low drone rumbled through the elevator and he slowly stepped out. He was in the mezzanine level of the X Mansion and after a bit of walking he soon found the kitchen with Storm cooking.

The sky outside was starting to be warm by the suns rays, so Todd guessed it was about six, six thirty in the morning. The smell of cooking food was intoxicating to Todd as he stood in the doorway and he gave a small smile and bow of the head to Ororo as she looked at him.

"Morning, Ms. Munroe." Todd said, nonchalantly.

"Morning, Todd is it?" She asked, oddly warmly; she smiled at his confirmation. "How are you doing?"

Todd chuckled as he went over to the coffee machine and looked for a mug, his nibble hand barely making a sound as he pulled one out.

"How am I? I went against one the most skilled martial artist I've ever heard off and not to mention Wolverine, getting my butt kicked all over the place." Todd mused for a moment, much to Ororo's amusement. "Like I got hit by a Mac truck that was going seventy miles per hour, while it was carrying a slab of cement; ya know, like in that game Frogger."

Ororo chuckled at Todd's description of his health and was about to offer if he wanted milk with his coffee, but stopped when he downed the entire mug full in one foul swoop. Todd groaned pleasantly as the fiery liquid burned down his chest and soothed out under his aching ribs.

"How is Kale doing?" Ms. Munroe asked as she went back to cooking.

"Kale's gettin' better, but he won't be up till lunch or maybe eleven o'clock." Todd said, walking next to Ms. Munroe. "Then again he is Kale, so he might be up now, yo."

"Why was he so affect by the psychic presence in his mind?" Ororo asked, her face like a concerned mother.

"Kale's greatest weakness is psychic attacks, especial when it is forcing him to do something, yo." Todd said, his voice heavy. "He has strong defenses he has built up for years but when someone like ya Professor Xavier goes in his head, not even he could hold out for long."

"He is very strong, stronger than any man his age I have seen before." Ororo said, pausing in her cooking to look at Todd. "You have a great amount of strength as well, child."

"I guess it runs in the family. Ya need some help with all this, yo?" Todd asked, gesturing to the food she was preparing.

"You know how to cook?" Ororo asked, surprised.

"I ain't no gourmet chef, but I do know one or two recipes from my past." Todd said, rubbing his hands together. "How's about croissants, Irish sausages, mashed potatoes, and pancakes for breakfast, since you have so many kids here and some of them might not like meat?"

"Can you cook all that? I mean, I know you and Kale had a rough time growing up and you had a lot to deal with but-"

"Ms. Munroe." Todd cut her off with his glacier cold voice and stared at her with a blazing amber glare. "Rough would be growing up in the projects where my ma was born, rough would be living in central Dublin where Kale's father grew up, rough would be living in Africa, yo. What me and Kale went through wasn't rough, it was hell.

"I'm sorry, Todd." Ororo said wrapping her arms around the shirtless mutant and giving him a hug, scaring the be-Jesus out of Todd "I can't have understood even when I saw Kale's memories thanks to Xavier, so I am sorry about miss judging you."

They stayed like that for a few minutes until Todd tenderly hugged her back and allowed tears to fall from his face. This had to be the first time in twelve years he had ever been hugged like this by a female, in a caring sympathetic way.

"I guess I better get cooking, the food won't make itself." Todd broke away and started to get the pot and pans ready when he paused. "Can I borrow a shirt?"

Ororo looked at him and now thanks to the brighter light saw that he too had scars covering his body. She realized that like Kale, he kept his scars hidden from everyone. Nodding, Ororo left him to his job while she practicallyflew to get him a shirt from Kale's room.

Amara groggily walked out of her bedroom and made her way down the stair, the fully morning light shining in all its glory at seven thirty. Her body was still sore from her small sprawl with Toad but it was getting better. As she past Rahne's room, the Scottish girl literally skipped out of her room with a smile plastered on her face.

"Good morinin' te ye, Amara." She said cheerily. How are ye?"

"Tired and my back is a little sore from the Brotherhood's attack last night, not to mention the bruise on my face is stinging." Amara said, yawning slightly. "Did you sleep well?"

Rahne's face broke out into an impossibly wider and broader smile and she sighed happily, causing Amara to giggle at her friend. It was no secret that Rahne had a crush on a certain Irish teenager but ever since he asked her out she had been eccentrically happy. It was like Kale had made her open up even more.

"Aye, I had the most lushes sleep last night, it was heavenly." She said, giggling as they walked down the stairs

"You're just happy because Kale didn't stop talking to you and walk you to your room before going to his training session" Amara said warily, grinning as her friend's cheeks turned a slight red color. "Not to mention that kiss good night."

"Ye saw that?" Rahne said shocked, but stopped short as she sniffed the air.

"Of course, I saw it; I'm just down the…hey, Rahne, what is it?"

Amara watched as her friend licked her lips and had a hungry look on her face, her green eyes flashing wildly. Amara tried to smell what it was in the air but she didn't have the enhanced sense like Rahne.

"What is it?" Amara asked again as Rahne walked past her to the kitchen.

"I smell some thing delicious, lassie." Rahne said as she walked into the kitchen.

Amara walked in and her mouth water as the aromas of the various foods finally filled her sense like it had to Rahne and she understood immediately when the wolf-girl was so hungered by the mere smell.

On the table was a large pot filled with sausages, basting in thick gravel that was still simmering slightly. A dish of mashed potatoes was set close to it was tinged yellow from what must have been butter. There were also two plates of pancakes, one with syrup smeared all over it and another without any.

Speared across the table were various sauces and dishes to be added to the food to make it even more delicious. The two girls stared in awe at the food and turning their head saw Ororo sitting off at the side table talking with someone who was cooking.

"No, he didn't, did he?" Ms. Munroe asked, as she tried to stifle her giggles. She then noticed the two students standing there. "Amara, Rahne. Come, children, eat some of this food our guest has made."

"Ye didn't make all this?" Rahne asked, surprised.

"No, Mr. Nority here took over from me when he woke up at six o'clock." The weather witch said, pointing to the unseen cook.

"Aw, it weren't that much trouble, Ms. Storm." Todd Tolansky as he walked out carrying some food in his hands.

Amara's jaw dropped. Todd Tolansky, the Toad, a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, had made them breakfast. Todd didn't see her shocked face or he chose not to show it.

He was dressed in a t-shirt with various Japanese symbols all over it and he still had his uniform pants and boots on. His long hair was tied back in a ponytail and his bangs framed his face. He set the bowl of pastries that had just been made and in front of the girls, a little lost at what to do.

"Todd, this is Amara Aquilla and Rahne Sinclair; Rahne, Amara, I think you already know Todd Nority Tolansky." Storm said, her pleasant gaze holding a stern look. "He is a guest here."

"So yer Kale's brother; ye smell like him, a little bit." Rahne said a smile on her face and reached to shake his hand which he did warmly. "Kale speaks very highly of you."

"And he probably exaggerates all of it." Todd said with dark green color on his face and Amara realized he was blushing. "So what would you lovely ladies want?"

Amara watched as Todd told Rahne what everything was and set her on her way, turning to her. For some reason, Amara couldn't get what he had done; he had spared her with nothing to gain and here he was cooking for them!

There wasn't any logic to it; they were enemies, unless she had missed a switching of sides recently. It might have been the fact that he been spending time with Kale but that was only in the past week and a half. In only three week of being here, Kale had shocked her more than she had been in the year she had been in the X-Men.

"Hey Amara, listen, I just wanted to apologize for what I did last night." Todd said, holding out his hand with timid smile. "Friends, or at lease associates?"

Amara smiled at his attempt to be friendly with and considered the offer; it might give the chance to find out why he hadn't finished her but also he might actually join the X-Men if she showed him there was some good in it.

"Alright, friends." Amara said, shaking his hand. "But you have to tell me something."

"What?"

Why didn't you?" She asked, his face showing confusion. "Finish what you had started last night."

Todd didn't know what to say for a moment because he wasn't about to tell her the reason; what, that he used to be an assassin and that he couldn't hurt her because the way she looked at him reminded him too much of Katie? No, but he had to say something with the way she was looking at him so he thought something up on the spot.

Todd smirked as it came to mind. "What makes you think we're done? With anything?"

And with that, Todd turned to get her some food and left Amara with more questions than answers, one that was louder than others. Was he…was he flirting with her?

Todd handed her plate full of food and after getting his own, they sat with Rahne in the dining room; Todd respectively pulled her seat out for her and then sat on the other side of the table. The other girl was savoring the foods on her plate with every bite and gave Todd a look of instant approval.

"If ye can cook this good all the time, there's ne way ye can be evil." She said between bites.

"Thanks, yo." Todd said, mashing his potatoes a little bit more. "Has Kale cooked for you guys yet?"

"No, not that I know." Rahne said, pausing to think. "No, he hasn't"

"Next chance you get, ask him to cook dinner and make sure he does a lot of variety." Todd said, sipping his second cup of coffee. "He cooks a lot of different style; British, Irish, Scottish, Japanese, Indian, Italian, African. He likes his food almost as much as he likes his martial arts and music."

"I heard Kale singing once, it was really good." Amara said, her taste buds in heaven with the food. "Toa-Todd, this food is really great."

"Thanks." Todd said blushing at the comment. "Yeah, Kale has real good voice, very deep. He also plays a wicked guitar, yo"

"Kale can play the guitar?" Rahne asked, her admiration over the boy growing.

"Electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, violin; Kale learned the guitar first and the other instrument fell into place." Todd told them, ticking the instruments off his fingers. "He taught me how to play but I can only do the electric guitar and the violin, the violin being my preferred instrument."

"I have to see you two do that sometime." Rahne said, laying her knife and fork in the centre of the empty plate in front of her.

"I'll tell you what; near the end of your date tomorrow, have Kale walk you through the park. I have something I can do for you." Todd said, mischievousness twinkling in his amber eyes.

"What?" She asked, a little worried.

"Just trust me, yo." Todd said leaning back in the chair. "So, has Kale started teaching anyone martial arts yet?"

"I was going to ask Rahne if she wanted to learn from me." A voice with a Irish accent said, the red and black haired teen walking in from the hallway.

The three teens whirled around and there was Kale in his human form, dressed in long black pants and a green shirt. He looked a little tired and his spiked hair was little disorientated, but he had his cheerful smile on his face as well as the warm look in his eyes.

"What, no one's glad to see me?" He asked, mischievously.

Rahne practically flew from her seat and wrapping her arms around Kale's neck, lifting her legs around his waist. When she did finally registered, Rahne was afraid she made Kale uncomfortable; instead he wrapped his own arms around her and gently nuzzled her neck. After a few minutes, Kale lowered her and clasped hands with his brother with one hand and wrapped the other around his shoulders. Todd mimicked the action and hugged his brother.

"Yer were seriously considering about giving me lessons?" Rahne asked when they had sat down, Kale giving Amara a hug so she didn't feel left out.

"Yeah, you've got the body and the mutation for maybe one or two of the styles that I know." Kale said as he sat next to Todd at he head of the table.

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know; maybe Tae Kwon Doe or Jujitsu. Your body won't be ready for anything like Kickboxing or Ninjitsu yet." Kale explained. "Maybe later on we could ask Todd to teach some Kickboxing or Tai Chi?"

"Really? You have a black belt in those arts?" Rahne asked, her eyes widening. "Impressive"

"Hey Todd, since I might end up teaching Rahne, why don't you teach Amara some self defense?"

Amara felt a strange feeling at the prospect of being taught by Todd and learning how to fight from him. It would be interesting to learn from another source other than Logan because she might learn something different, but it also might be insulting to the man to go to some one younger than him.

It was also odd that someone like Kale, who seemed to have a far superior fight skill, would want his brother to teach someone like her. It was if he was trying to prove to Todd something.

"I don't think so, Kale. I mean, I still have trouble with remembering the final techniques." Todd said nervously fidgeting. "I mean, I've never had to use them in two years so I've gotten a little rusty with what Tattoo taught us."

"Who?" Rahne asked.

"Tattoo, my sensei from Japan, closest thing to a father that I have left." Kale said, his eyes starting to mist up.

Todd reached over and clasped his brother on his shoulder, speaking in some foreign language. Todd hadn't spoken true Japanese in a long time so it was a little tricky for him to use it.

" You miss him, don't you? " Todd asked, the oriental language flowing freely now.

" More than I thought I would. It would be great to see him again. " Kale said softly.

"Then let's go see him one day." Todd said, reverting back to English. "Maybe we could take some people with us as a fieldtrip or just a vacation."

"What, we just hijack the X-Jet and fly to Japan for tea?" Kale asked dryly.

"No yo, I mean we go there for like three, four weeks for like a workshop and that way we get to see Tattoo and Yukiko." Todd said, smirking. "I now you want to see her again."

Kale smiled lightly to himself with a small chuckle and Rahne felt her muscles tensed up at his reaction. She didn't know if this Yukiko was just friend or something a lot more; Rahne knew there was a lot about Kale she didn't know about, but there was a lot he didn't know about her and he didn't press her on her past.

Secretly she was thankful for that, her life in Scotland not the most pleasant of thing to remember. Her mom dying, the church that seemed to hated, Reverend Craig…Rahne gave a shudder and a growl at the mention of the man's name.

Kale saw the small reaction and wondered if it was something he did, his reaction to Yukiko not the most appropriate thing in the world. Kale reached over and gently closed his hand around hers, her soft hand smooth against his rough hands. Rahne closed her eyes a warm tingly sensation spread through her and she opened her eyes to look at him with a small smile.

Todd saw the looks between them and nudged Amara, gesturing them that they should leave. Picking up the finished plates, the two made themselves scarce. Rahne wasn't aware that the two left, Kale was but was busy. Standing up, Kale gently lifted Rahne up and sat down with her on his lap; Rahne smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck while he just held her around the waist.

"You…alright being like this…with me?" Kale asked softly, fear and worry evident in his voice.

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Rahne said, erasing the fear she started to smell on him.

"Well, if things are like this now, I can't wait for the date to come." Kale said, his breath heating her neck nicely.

"Me neither, Kale, me neither."

Okay; now i'm sorry if anyone was OCC or out of charcter, so i apologize now. It's been a while since i've sen the show so it's a little foggy. What next for Kale? What else, the Date!

Please review soon, you saw this chapter got up pretty quick and that was just three people. Imagine what more would do...Anyways, please review.

-Lin