Chapter 6: Awaking From a Nightmare

Toad didn't know what had happened it had all felt like some horrible nightmare, he had woken up that morning with a thumping headache that only seem to get worse and worse until it had felt like something was trying to claw itself out of his skull. He could see Fred trying to help but it like he wasn't there he couldn't hear what Fred was saying or feel him as he try to hold Toad down and get help.

Suddenly something came from deep within it made the pain fade away, it was still there but it didn't matter to him, he looked up to see some hulking monster holding him down. He was in a strange room with horrible bright lights that hurt his eyes.

One idea: escape!

Toad had kicked the monster away and leapt around trying to find a way out, the monster grabbed him again yelling something but Toad couldn't understand what he was saying. He attacked again in a blind rage, the Toad didn't like being cooped up like he didn't like that creature that was holding him down and he didn't like being attacked!

He tackled down the monster and stuck his hands on it's chest, slime seem to seep out and he began to slaver it on like a spider would spin a web around it's prey. He leapt away and began to slime out the lights and everything, suddenly he heard a big blue creature come in and Toad tackle him down and then leapt through the window.

All he knew was he had to get away from there and find a safe place, somewhere dark, warm and wet. He found a wood that he knew and hopped through it.

It was nice…but it didn't have that feel to it that The Toad was looking for, he looked at his hands and squeezed them shut. He felt the slime begin to seep from his fingers, he then got to work. Weaving the slime and splattering it all over the trees coating everything it he stopped and it felt like home.

Only now…he was hungry, he looked up as a bird fluttered to a tree where its nest was once, he snapped out his tongue…

And a few fluttering feather was all that remained a second later.

The Toad licked his lips and then settled down in a tree, suddenly just as he was enjoying a little nap the trees began to rustle and move. A group of weird humans came in and suddenly the Toad was scared but that was quickly washed away by anger.

He snarled and leapt capturing the intruders that would violate his world, sliming them to the walls and he would prowl around as they were dragged into unconsciousness. Maybe he would eat them later when they had rotted enough to fall apart easier, fresh meat was too hard to chew.

And then…two more? He wondered and he leapt out of the cave and watched as they two who escaped before came back, he hissed happily at the idea of having more for his pantry.

He landed at the cave entrance and hissed angrily as he saw them rip away and free his meals, he was about to leap when he heard a soft voice sing. It was comforting and familiar reminding him how that even when things were really scary when he heard that song everything was better. He smiled and sat down and listened and softly drifted off to sleep, the person gave him a soft toy that made him feel warm and safe. He felt a shape pain in his neck but that quickly subsided when he feel asleep.

Todd woke up and looked up and found himself in the medical bay at the institute once more, he saw Pietro, Lance and Fred look at him.

"Wha ya looking at yo?" he demanded he then shrieked and leapt up "Man I haven't turned into some kinda frog-thing have I?" he cried and patted himself down to note everything was where it should be, he froze and looked at his hands.

They were normal again…well for him anyway!!

"Yeah we kinda liked you better as a wild frog freak but you wouldn't learn how to sit or fetch the newspaper so we changed you back" Pietro smiled and Fred pushed him out of the way.

"How ya feel buddy?"

"Weird, confused and hungry!" he said putting his hand over his stomach.

"Dude why couldn't you stayed that way? You know with a bit more control!" Pietro asked.

"Huh?"

"You totally pasted the X-men when you were all frog boy!" Lance laughed "Even Logan"

"I took out Wolverine?!" Toad yelped.

"Yeah you should have seen his face when we dug him out and he came to, he threatened us never to tell anyone he got beat by you or he'd kill us!" Pietro declared, just then Hank came in.

"Well after a three day sleep Toad you seem to be fine, any mutation you develop from the Power8 has seem to have gone" he said

"Whoa…hold the phone…three days? I've been asleep for three whole days?" Toad cried

"Well more like three days and a half" Hank amended "You can go home if you like and make sure to call if you feel you are having a relaspe"

"Sure thing yo" Toad said kicking off the blanket "Be seeing ya"

As they walked to the Jeep Lance looked at Todd who hopped along side him.

"So you don't remember much?" he asked.

"Nah man it was all a blur" Todd exclaimed "I remember some freaky things like me eating a bird and stuff, but what stuck in my head the most was someone singing to me" he then stopped and looked at Lance "And it sounded like you!"

Pietro and Fred covered their smirks and tried not to giggle as Lance went red in the face.

"Err…yeah" he mumbled and then he weezed as Todd gave him a tackle/hug around the chest, Lance went even redder but Todd let go.

"Thank Lance" he smiled as he hopped into the Jeep "Man I feel like we're all a happy family"

"Yeah" Pietro smiled "Fred is the mom Lance is the dad, Toad's the annoying kid and…"

"You're the bloody annoying uncle who won't shut up!" Lance growled as they drove off.

"you know…" Fred said "beside the whole me being the mom that sounds nice, maybe we could make a sitcom of it!"

"And Lance could sing the theme song! All together now!" Pietro shouted "Five little speckled frogs…GUK!" as Pietro was kicked out of the moving car "hey wait up!"

Epilogue

Toad sat in his tree watching as Pietro was still giggling and singing 'five little speckled frogs' to annoy Lance, Fred was lying under the tree branch where Toad was sitting.

"Y'know" Fred muttered "It would have been totally cool if you could spit acid, could come in handy!"

"Yeah…" Toad mused "But the blue furball said that I was back to lil' weak old me"

"Oh well easy come easy go" Fred declared and got up "I wonder what's for lunch?"

Toad sat there for a little while longer before he hopped down he stared at a gnome that had somehow found its way to sit in their garden it was probably one of those random things Pietro stole from time to time he put his hand over his stomach and then spat out a bright green slime, it landed on the gnome and began to drip slowly in a disgusting manner. Besides that nothing else seem to have happened, Toad sighed and walked back to the house…

He stopped when he heard a slurping creek and Toad spun around to see a bright red and white steaming puddle where the gnome once resided, all that was left was a melted lump of pottery.

"Cool!" Toad cooed and poked it.

"Hey Toad we're gonna have take-out what do you want?" Fred called, Toad being small minded completely forgot about the gnome and rushed back to the house.

"Make mine noodles!" he cried happily.

"What were you doing out there?" Fred asked.

"Oh nothing much" Toad laughed.

The End

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