Author Notes: Thank once again to Gremblin, you're amazing:)

Chapter 7

Imogen awoke to an eerie orange glow that penetrated her eyelids. It reflected off the concrete and seemed to give the whole landscape a very alien quality. It was as if time had no meaning. She sat up, groaning slightly as her muscles protested. She didn't remember anything since the Mansion. Looking around, she saw Mort curled up next to her. Exhaustion was apparent on his sleeping features, and even when he was unaware of his surroundings his body still took on a defensive position; curled as tight as it would go, yet still allowing him to remain asleep. Imy frowned, how long had she been unconscious? Come to that, where the hell were they? Wherever it was, it definitely was not the Mansion.

Gently, Chaos placed a hand on Toad's shoulder, and he jerked awake immediately, almost lashing out. He shook his head slightly, making his hood fall back, for the first time revealing a congealed cut along his right cheek, "What's going on? What happened to you? Where are we?"

Toad groaned, "Please slow down, I've only just woken up." He winced slightly as he shifted his position, his hand glancing his ribs.

Imogen revised her questions to just one, "What the hell happened to you?"

"We got attacked by a bunch of half-drunk teenage chavs."

Imogen raised an eyebrow at Mort's terminology, "Erm, how?"

"Turning up in the middle of a Liverpudlian council estate at four in the mornin' tends not to go down well with the local gangs."

Imogen blinked, staring at her friend in disbelief. There was no way he would joke about something like that; he didn't have the imagination for it. Nevertheless, she replied, "You're having a laugh, mate."

Mort didn't reiterate, "Can you walk? Only transporting us and going all fireball in the same morning had a bad effect on your body."

Fleeting images skipped through Imogen's mind, "How..?"

Mort stood, offering the girl a hand, "I don't know, darlin', but I don't think staying here is a good idea; it's almost night so moving would be good."

"I'm sorry."

Mort looked at Imogen. She seemed to be holding it all together remarkably well. If it wasn't for her terrified eyes, he would have thought her completely calm. He hugged her briefly. The action seemed to take her completely by surprise, as it was the first time he had willingly initiated bodily contact of any kind, but it got him a small smile. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I already told you, I'm in this for the long haul."

"Idiot."

Toad snorted. "Do you know anyone around here? 'Cause the closest people I have to friends are up in Edinburgh."

Imogen shook her head, "No. Not anymore. Not for a very long time."

"Damn it."

Imogen frowned, "Can you feel that?"

"Huh?"

Imogen shook her head, "Through the night."

Toad tilted his head, listening, "No, what-" He paused. A roaring, like a plane, moving very fast. His eyes widened, "Xavier!"

Imogen blanched, "I don't want to go back. He won't give me choice now he knows my power."

Toad's eyes flicked across the landscape, "This way!" Leaping nimbly up to the top of a pile of rubble, he held up a hand to help Imy up, but she merely turned into her lycanthropic form. "That's really irritating you know."

Chaos hit his arm as she ran past, "Come on!"

The pair's ears were almost deafened as the jet flew overhead. Even if it didn't know they were here exactly, it would use the open space to land. They pelted across the desolate landscape towards a prefab that was still vaguely intact. "You need to hide. They don't know you're here; Xavier can't tell, they're only going by me."

"But-"

"Chaos, they think I'm a cold, unfeeling terrorist; they are more likely to believe that I ditched you, go!"

Imy disappeared, just as Toad heard some voices nearby. Thinking about it, this half destroyed house was probably the first place they would look. Hopefully they would see it more as a refuge for him rather than Imogen. His thoughts scattered as he was thrown and pinned against the flimsy wall by an unseen force; they had come in the side door. "Ow…"

"Where is Imogen?"

"Right to the point, aren't you, Red?"

"Toad, I have very little patience with you right now…" A second voice had joined Jean's.

"Oh, sod off bitch. I ain't doing nothing." His accent unconsciously thickened when faced with the woman who had fried him almost a year ago.

Both women came into view, closely followed by Logan. Toad's eyes widened slightly – if he smelt Imogen… "I'll ask you again, Toad, where is Imogen?" Jean seemed to be making a conscious effort to stay calm.

Toad gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes, "Give me some credit, woman, you really think I'm gonna stay around a half crazed mutant with untold powers? We were set upon by a bunch of locals when we arrived. She was unconscious and human looking, I was green and awake. I ran."

"You what?"

"It's called self preservation, love."

"You just left her." Wolverine spoke up for the first time, a low growl accompanying his words. His eyes regarded Toad closely. "After you helped back at Xavier's."

Shit. Unlike the other two, Logan had brains and wits. Thinking fast, Toad replied, "I know a mutation overload when I see one. If I hadn't helped, she would probably have blown up the whole Mansion, which would not have been good for me."

Logan didn't look convinced, but the women were too pissed off to notice the flaws in Toad's story. "You're coming back with us. And if we don't find Imogen alive, you're going to wish you died from my lightening."

Logan stepped forwards, "Ladies, is there any need to take him back with us? He could be a spy for Magneto for all we know."

"The Professor asked us to, and if we leave him, all he'll do is return to Magneto anyway."

Logan shook his head, "He's too pathetic for that; doesn't have the guts to face the boss he failed. We're wasting time here – we need to find the kid. If she isn't dead, she could be halfway to London by now."

Toad resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why did most Americans think that London was the only place to go in England? If it was him running from the X-Men, he would have high-tailed it to the furthest reaches of Wales. Nevertheless, and to Toad's utter shock, both women nodded and left the prefab, disgustedly dropping Toad onto the floor.

Logan made to leave, but then caught Mort by the arm in a vice-like grip enhanced by his adamantium skeleton, "I know she's here. I know she wants to stay here, with you. I know she trusts you and that you are friends. But I swear, if you don't protect that kid, Toad, I really will hurt you."

Toad's mouth gaped as the mutant let go of him and prowled out. He had known. And he hadn't taken Imogen. He had lied - for them.

It took a while before the sounds of the jet taking off penetrated the thin walls of the refuge, and finally Imogen crept out of her hiding place. She rubbed her knees where dust had collected, "I knew I liked that guy."

Toad made a non-committal noise, his natural instinct telling him that Logan must have had an ulterior motive, even though he honestly had thought that the man was being genuine, "I think we should try for Edinburgh – it's our best bet for refuge."

Chaos nodded reluctantly, and they began to make plans.

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: The comment about Americans not knowing about Wales is not prejudice – it is dedicated and inspired by my mate making an indignant rant (that took up ten minutes of lesson time) about how no American he talked to knew what or where Wales was. I found the whole thing rather funny, and so decided to include it. I hope he was exaggerating.

Anyway, please send feedback, as my plotbunny Loki is thinking of turning carnivore...eep.