Also if there's any interest I may do a story tell of how Todd and Betsy became a couple and why I chose the title of Salvation lost it had to do with Betsy 616 history if you can guess you get a cameo in one of my stories. Here is a hint for you she English and similar event happened in the ultimate universe. Check out her profile on http/ the answers is there.

The song is Betcha Never by Cherie from the album "Cherie" used In Batman Mystery of the Batwoman

Toad: The Crow: Salvation lost.

Todd was sit on the roof with a keyboard , playing a tune as he hit the right part he slow started to sing.

Todd was sitting on the roof with a keyboard, playing a rhythmic tune. As he hit the right part, he slowly started to sing.

(Betcha never...never ever...
Betcha never, never ever)

Don't tell me that you don't like anything about me

I seen it in your eyes that look

You think that I don't notice

Don't hide what you feel inside

Baby, I can feel the same

Whatcha do is up to you

So maybe you should try again

Or maybe you just fade away

Todd closed his eyes as words flowed over him, bringing up forgotten memories.


Todd was standing in the corner of the hall at school dance, looking on to the dance floor with all the happy couples. Lances and Kitty, who had become true item since Lances had join the x-men again to be with her and made it work this time. Also on the dance floor was the human and her fuzzy pet gecko.

But the most interesting couple was Tabitha and Wanda.

Todd could hardly believe it himself. When she told him that she would only ever like him as a friend because she was in love with Tabitha, he nearly fainted and hit his head.

He was pleased for them that were able to come out and he had Blob crack a few skulls of the football team for being jerks. Thinking of Blob made him wonder how he was doing since he got invited to go live with his Nana on a farm; the last letter he got was from him was about dating his third or second cousin, twice removed or some thing like that.

Look back at Wanda, if he was honest it had hurt to see her with Tabby but when you're in love with someone, you want them to be happy. He came to the conclusion he hadn't being love with her for some time and only carried on chasing for something to do.

But recently, one of the newer x-girls had been taken his interest. Looking up to the stage, there she was; Elisabeth Braddock, with flow long purple hair the flow down to her neck and were a purple dress that matched her Asian looks perfectly.

He knew the only thing stopping him going after her was that she was seeing that birdman x geek, Angel. Now, Todd looked up at Betsy as she was about to start sing and as the words left her mouth he could have swan that she was looking at him. But why would that angel look at a toad?

Betcha never, betcha never
Betcha never thought we'd get this far
Betcha never, never ever
Betcha never thought you'd touch my heart
Betcha never betcha never
Betcha never thought I'd surrender
Betcha never thought you'd ever get with me I

Betcha never thought about it

(Betcha never, never ever
No, no, noo
Betcha never thought about it)

Leaning back onto Betsy lap, he listened to the tune that she was humming. As he listened to her, he asked what she was humming.

"It was the song that I sang at the school dance; it sums up how we started out pretty well." Betsy said with a soft smile run her hands throw his hair.

Toad gave her a bemused look. "What do you mean, yo?"

"Well it called 'Betcha Never' and sings about a relationship, how far they got and how one person in the relation can't believe how far they got and is never sure if he should take it to next step." Gently drawing her finger around Todd's face as she explained the song, with a small smile.

"Well, it dose seem to fit us well. You're going to have to teach it to me, so it can be our song" He said, sitting up and kissing her gently on the lips.


Don't you be afraid to try
Cause you don't even know me
Why catch you in between the lines?
You know how it should be
Don't hide what you feel inside
Maybe I can feel the same
Whatcha do, it's up to you
So maybe you try again
Or maybe you just fade away

As Todd finished the seconded verse, he heard the cry of the crow and stopped playing.

"You can come out now I know you were there."

Out of the shadows stepped Jamie Maddox, "We were told you were dead, they told me you died."

With out thinking he ran up and gave Todd a hug; at that contact, Todd got a new memory.

Todd was sit on the swing in the park, when he heard a cry from someone. Getting off of the swing, Todd looked around and saw three identical boys lay on the ground. One trying to help him up and another run around like a headless chicken, at a complete loss of what to do.

Recognizing that he was an x-geek, Todd was going to leaving him there until he heard him moan again. Taking a deep breath he hoped over to help.

"You ok, yo?" He said with a small smile as he tried to help the kid up.

Jamie, seeing that it was a member of the brotherhood, started to panic and struggling against Todd. Holding him still Todd spoke calmly.

"It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you. My name's Todd, ok?"

At this, Jamie started to settle down and sniffed slightly. "Jamie my name's Jaime."

"Ok, that's good. Now, can you do some thing about those…?" Before Todd got to finish his statement, the clones faded away. "Ok. So, what are you doing here?"

Jamie looked at him and wiped his eyes "We all came to the park to day but no one wanted to play with me and told me to get lost. So, I decided to play on the swings but fell down the hill. Why didn't anyone one to play with me? Is it because I am the youngest?" As he finished, he slowly started to cry.

Todd close his eyes; he didn't know how to talk to kids! He was the one was often getting pushed around beaten up himself!

"I don't know kid, probably." Todd paused, thinking as he watched Jamie and got an idea. "You know some thing, one my friends, Quicksilver, he could give some good tips on how to deal with this. He can also tell you how to play up the cute little kid act to girls."

"Well, the others would help with the older guy pushing you around too. Lance would show how to fight dirty, Fred would teach you how to do some fancy cooking." Toad continued, kneeling down to the kid. "And I could show how to pick pockets and locks, yo, and then you could get your own back. Would you like that?"

Jamie, at hearing that, was cheered up a little "I don't know".

"Well, I tell you what; you have a think about it and if you like idea of learning how to be a little hell maker, slip over to Hood house. I could get the guys to train you and soon have the girls eating of your hands and the guys wanting to a hang with ya." Toad said with a big smile.

Jamie let out small laugh, when, out of nowhere, Nightcrawler tacked Toad to the ground. Pinning him to the ground, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Get away from him!"

Taking Nightcrawler by surprise, Multiple knocked him flying from Toad and stood in front of the green boy.

"Leave him alone!" Jamie shouted at him. "He was helping me after I fell over and hurt my ankle!"

Nightcrawler stopped and looked incredulously at Toad, who just blinked at the little kid.

"Oh, sorry." He muttered under breath as he picked him self up and took Jaime hand "We got to go. The others are looking for you".

Just as Jamie was going to say good bye to Todd, Kurt teleported them out of there and left Todd alone.

Gently pushing Jamie away, Toad looked at him with cold distant eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Jamie looked back into his eyes, shivering "We picked up your mutant signature, but it was genetically altered also. It couldn't get precise lock on you, so we had to come looking. What happened to you, Todd?"

Not answering Jamie's question, Todd looked around and asked. "What about the others?".

"Not a problem; I got a clone running around with my traces and Prof has a hard time my head since my powers are growing. Now I don't just make copy's that have multiple personalities, but its cool because their all exact copies of me." Jamie said with fine laugh "So what happened to you. We were told you were dead."

"Don't know. I was dead, now I live; well the living dead, really. You have to ask the bird for details, yo." Nodding to the crow, the bird squawking loudly as Jamie looked at him.

"But how did you find out?" Todd asked in a dry tone.

As Jamie started to answer, the crow's powers flared up and brought the memories alive for Todd.

Betsy was in hysterics, screaming and shouting at Professor X in front of the other X-Men in the study.

"He dead, I can't feel him any more! He's gone; why wont anybody believe me!"

Professor Xavier looked at her calmly and spoke. "Elisabeth, you need to relax. Logan checked out the Brotherhood house and though he found evidences of battle, he didn't find any proof that Todd is dead."

"Then why can't I feeling him throw our bond? You know that these types of bonds can't be blocked." Betsy sobbed gently.

Professor Xavier gently put a hand on her leg and spoke softly. "We don't know anything, ok? That's why we deployed both the X-Men and New Mutants to try and find him. If he is alive, we will find him."

"And that was it. We looked for you about a month, we then we had to stop because we had to deal with the new Weapon X project coming after us." As Jamie carried on, he slowly started to cry.

"Then a few days after what happened with Weapon X, Betsy killed her self and Jean when into a coma when she tried to save her."

Toad gave Jaime a confused look. "Jean went into a coma? I thought she died. Is she still alive?"

Jamie looked up at Todd grimly. "No, she's alive still; in a coma, if you can call it living. She's still at the institute."

Todd closed his eyes as his crow squawked, a need coming into his mind.

"Jamie, can you keep the other X-geeks a way form the institute? I got something I think I need to do there." Before he could give Jamie a chance to answer, he was gone moving into the shadows.

Professor Xavier was sitting in his study when felt a powerful energy enter his home. Reaching out with his mind to find what it was, the sheer power of it over came him as he touched it and the worlds most power full telepath was knocked out.

Out shadows walked Todd and he made sure that Prof was okay before leaving him. Todd made his way to Jean's bedroom that was filled with all the equipment need to keep her alive.

Walking along side her, Todd smiled at her and spoke softly. "It's time to wake up, Red. you did all you could for Betsy, so stop beating your self up over it and wake up. I show you that she's in a better place now."

Put his hands on her head, he focused his healing powers into her and healed the damage done. He also sent Jean some pictures of Betsy in paradise, easing her guilt ridden mind. Once he was done, Todd slipped out of the room just as a panic striking Beast burst into the room to find to find Jean sitting up and looking out her window.

Before Beast could ask any thing spoke "Todd was here he was alive I think but different he healed me, he shoed me that Betsy is happy. "

Beast just stared jaw slack at the awakened telepath, her eyes filling up with sad and happy tears as she looked to the window and smiled at the cawing of the crow. Turning back to Beast as the tears began streaming out of her eyes, Jean gave a sadden look of happiness.

"What been happening and how long was I out?" Jean asked as tears poured down her faces.

Redgobling-x and Lin Waddell thanks for reading.

Read and review please