Ninjas, Destinies, and Babies

Disclaimer: Same as before.

Author's Note: The characters of Althea and Claudius Delgado first appeared in Red Witch's Ronin Toad.

The Pit, Ninja Dojo
Todd Tolansky and Stormshadow
17 February 2002, 0858

Not even twenty-four hours after making the promise to not sneak around the ninja dojo Todd was back. Something he couldn't explain drew him over there.

Maybe if I'm real quiet they'll let me watch. Todd thought. He watched as a ninja in white was practicing his moves, moving fluidly, swiftly, not wasting a single bit of energy. A study in precise movement.

That's got to be the one they call Stormshadow. Todd thought.

To his surprise the ninja went into a crouched stance, similar to his own, like a frog on a ninja seemed oblivious to the world around him, the man was totally still, almost like a statue. Todd crept closer, from behind, out of the man's field of view.

"Would you like to join me?" the ninja said softly, "It would be nice to have someone to exercise with."

Todd's heart hammered in his chest, threatening to invade his throat. How did he know I was there? Well, duh, he's a ninja!

Stormshadow didn't seem angry about it in the least. He quietly skootched over to the ninja, side to side with the man. And then he began copying the ninja's moves...

The Pit, Officer's Quarters
Kate and Conrad
17 February 2002, 0910

"What are you whistling?" Kate asked as they walked towards the apartment building, referring to the slightly jaunty tune Conrad was whistling.

"Der Westerwaldlied." Conrad replied.

"Another Foreign Legion marching song?" Kate asked.

"Actually it was a German marching song, popular in the Wehrmacht in the Second World War." Conrad replied.

"How do you know it, then?" Kate asked, "Please don't tell me you served in the German Army too?"

"No, it's in the Foreign Legion's repertoire." Conrad replied.

"How does the French Foreign Legion have a German song in its songbook?" Kate asked, with a quirked eyebrow.

"There were a lot of Germans in the Legion after both the First and Second World Wars." Conrad replied, "I can recall several songs that we had to learn that were in German, reflecting the heavy presence of Germans in the Legion."

"Such as?" Kate asked, genuinely curious.

"Ich Hatt'einen Kameraden, Schwarze Rose, and Lili Marlene are the three that readily come to mind." Conrad replied.

At Kate's quizzical look, Conrad supplied, "The first one 'I Had a Comrade', sung in memory of the fallen. The second, 'Black Rose' is one that came about during the 19th century in Algeria. And the third is a universal theme, a soldier missing a lover. It was actually popular with both sides in World War II."

"No way." Kate replied.

"Well, some things are universal." Conrad replied.

"Ok, smart guy, how did Allied soldiers get a hold of a German song?" Kate asked.

"Radio Belgrade played it as its sign off broadcast and British soldiers in North Africa on shortwave radios were able to pick it up." Conrad replied.

Kate was about to reply when she noticed Roadblock heading for them right out of the corner of her eye.

"Roadblock, what's going on?" Conrad asked, as he noticed the massive soldier heading their way.

"Have either of you seen Todd anywhere?" Roadblock asked.

"No, not at all. Not since breakfast this morning." Conrad replied.

"He wandered off again?" Kate asked.

"Looks like it." Roadblock said.

"Wonder where he could've headed off to?" Conrad asked.

"Well, what did Roadblock scold him about yesterday?" Kate countered.

"Hm...for running off I'm sure." Conrad replied.

"But where did he run off from?" Kate asked.

"The Ninja Dojo." Roadblock answered.

The Pit, Ninja Dojo
Todd Tolansky and Stormshadow
17 February 2002, 0915

Todd followed Stormshadow's moves almost exactly. He wasn't quite as graceful but it wasn't hard for him to practice these moves. Then they moved across the room to a set of balance beams several feet off the ground.

This is easy! I could do this all day...Todd beamed.

"TODD!"

"Uh oh!" Todd said as he fell off the beams and landing right on top of Conrad.

Todd gave a weak smile as he stood up and dusted himself off. A slightly dazed Conrad swayed somewhat unsteadily to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Kate asked.

"I landed on something soft." Todd replied.

"I think that was my head followed by my shoulders." Conrad grumbled.

"Didn't I tell you not to bother them?" Roadblock scolded.

"He wasn't bothering me." Stormshadow said, "In fact, it was very nice having him around. We should do this again sometime."

"Really?" Todd's eyes brightened.

"Yes," Stormshadow replied.

Kate blanched slightly. While it's true the kid is no longer part of Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, I'm not so sure I like the fact that he's about to learn ninjutsu and…

"You may have a point," Roadblock said, "The kid could use the discipline."

Kate sighed with relief and she noticed Conrad's wry grin. Note to self, ask him about that later.

As Roadblock and Stormshadow made arrangements for Todd's future training Kate felt somewhat more reassured. Note to self, be very careful about mentioning Todd and ninja training in the same sentence.

Kate turned to Conrad and asked him, "What are you grinning about?"

"The fact that mademoiselle was worried over nothing." Conrad replied.

"A former member of the Brotherhood of Mutants learning ninja skills does give me some concern." Kate replied.

"However there is an inherent discipline involved in properly learning and mastering any martial art." Conrad countered, "And the boy hasn't any loyalty to Magneto."

"My job involves worrying about any threat to the President's safety, Conrad." Kate replied, "So I do have to look into any possible threat."

Conrad merely canted his head towards where Stormshadow and Todd were talking with Roadblock.

"Well, I could use some help sweeping out the back." Stormshadow said.

"Oh, I get it." Todd said, "This is just like those movies where the kid does all these chores but it turns out they were martial arts lessons in another form, right?"

"Uh, sure..." Stormshadow said.

"You do realize," Kate remarked, "That the kid is operating off of an old movie cliche, right?"

"Yes, but its a harmless one." Conrad replied, "It might help him."

Shortly afterward Stormshadow headed out of the back room, a meditation room of some sort, and headed straight for where Conrad and Kate were standing.

"I see the two of you have some concerns about Todd being trained in the ways of the ninja." Stormshadow calmly began, without preamble.

"Some, yes." Kate replied.

"I don't have any." Conrad countered.

"I will train the boy." Stormshadow said, "I will train him in our ways, to include the discipline a ninja must possess."

"I still have a few misgivings." Kate remarked.

"The boy is like a pitcher waiting for the water of knowledge to fill him." Stormshadow remarked.

"You can say it," Roadblock said as he approached the trio, "He isn't the fastest frog in the pond. But he means well and he tries hard."

"And given he has bonded to you," Conrad replied, "I honestly do not believe he is any threat. This ninja training may well be another way for the boy to heal."

"Maybe I should add more fish to his diet, it's supposed to be brain food." Roadblock replied.

"The boy is going to need a lot of fish." Stormshadow replied.

Kate was about to reply when the sound of a loud boom, like the clap of thunder, was heard.

The Pit, Ninja Dojo
Todd Tolansky
17 February 2002, 0944

In the small meditation chamber Todd was busily sweeping. His face bore the expression of intense concentration. I don't care if I have to sweep the entire base, I want Roadblock to be proud of me. I'll be a good little Toad and prove once and for all I'm not a screw up! I'll do everything he tells me to do, because that's part of martial arts training! Nothing is going to go wrong now...Wait, what's that noise!?

Todd turned his head. He could've sworn he heard something. It sounded like a chime and several people talking.

Well Roadblock, Stormshadow, Kate and Conrad are out there. Maybe it's them? Todd thought to himself.

But the noises he heard persisted and none of the talking sounded like either of the four people at the front of the dojo.

I'm probably imagining things. Back to work...Todd thought and he went back to sweeping. But he heard the noises again going through his head. And this time he could identify where they were coming from.

It was the altar. And as he moved closer he noticed the mat underneath the altar began to glow brightly.

Acting entirely on instinct Todd moved the altar and the mat it rested on aside, finding the glow coming from underneath a trap door built almost seamlessly into the floorboards. As he lifted the door the voices and glowing stopped. Inside the hidden panel was a small hardwood box, with several letters in Kanji on it.

The box opened, seemingly of its own accord and inside the box was a round crystal that had some sort of writing on it as well. The language was one that Todd didn't know.

Should I put this back? I mean if it was in a hidden compartment that means I wasn't supposed to know where it was. Well, I'm not gonna steal it, I'm just gonna look at it for a few minutes.

With that in mind Todd stroked the top of the stone, and to his extreme surprise it began to glow with an even greater intensity. Then it levitated out of his hands, glowing with even greater intensity.

Then it came to a stop before spinning, glowing even brighter. Todd crouched, staring at it, hypnotized by the intensity of the glow before it flashed and the sound of a thunderclap. That was the last sound Todd heard before he fell unconscious.

The Pit, The Infirmary
Todd, Roadblock, and Stormshadow
17 February 2002, 1102

"Oohh...what happened?" Todd said as he sat up.

"You ok kid?" Roadblock asked.

"I just feel a little dizzy." Todd replied, "What happened?"

"You don't remember anything?" Roadblock asked.

"I just remember finding this weird box and opening it and then this bright light..." Todd replied, forehead scrunching in thought.

"I'm afraid you triggered one of our hidden traps, installed to protect the dojo." Stormshadow replied.

"I guess that means I screwed up..." Todd replied, in a small voice, "A-and that I'm not allowed back."

"Actually," Stormshadow replied, "I was thinking you could benefit from some lessons."

"Oh he could use some lessons alright." Roadblock added.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble." Todd replied.

"You never do! And you don't think! You could've been hurt or killed or worse." Roadblock scolded.

"Roadblock, he wasn't entirely to blame." Stormshadow interjected, "We should have been more careful where we placed the trap. It was also our fault for having forgotten it was there."

"Well," Roadblock replied, addressing Todd, "you could use the discipline martial arts teach."

"You're not mad anymore?" Todd asked.

"Kid, I'm not really mad at you." Roadblock said, "I was worried sick, however! You need to be a lot more careful. I'm willing to let it go this time, as long as you've learned something from all this."

"Uh, don't sneak around ninja dojos?" Todd supplied.

"Bingo!" Roadblock replied.

"Well, that settles it, then." Stormshadow replied, "Your first lesson is tomorrow, where you'll be training with some of the others."

"I'll be there!" Todd said, excitedly, "Thanks Stormshadow! You won't regret this! Do you want me to finish sweeping up the dojo now?"

"NO!" Roadblock and Stormshadow declared simultaneously.

"Listen, kid, why don't you wait outside. With Stormshadow I'd like to confide." Roadblock said, "Go stay with Agent Hart and Agent Todd in the waiting room."

"Ok," Todd said as he walked outside the room.

The Pit, Infirmary Waiting Room
Todd Tolansky
17 February 2002, 1144

Todd headed out into the waiting room, but didn't see Conrad or Kate anywhere. Huh, wonder where those two headed off to? Todd thought.

Then a thought popped into Todd's head, or rather another thought. Roadblock did say to stay with Agent Hart and Agent Todd. I should go look for them.

After that particular thought popped into his head he headed out and started wandering around the building. He walked down hallways and stared into rooms…

The Pit, Infirmary Waiting Room
Kate Todd and Conrad Hart
17 February 2002, 1155

"I swear there's some kind of cell phone jammer in the waiting room." Conrad remarked as they walked back into the waiting room.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Kate replied.

"And of course at a moment where our respective bosses wanted to talk to us." Conrad added with a wry grin.

It was as Kate was about to reply that Stormshadow and Roadblock walked into the waiting room.

Roadblock began, "Have either of you two seen Todd?"

"I thought he was with you?" Conrad countered.

"I sent him out here to wait for me after I had a private word with Stormshadow." Roadblock replied, "Did you two see him?"

"No, we both got calls from our bosses and had to step outside to take them." Kate replied.

"He's wandered off again and…" Roadblock began.

Before Roadblock could finish the sentence Bree came into the Waiting Room. "I hate to interrupt, but we've got a Code 22."

"Oh no, not him too." Roadblock groaned.

"What's a Code 22?" Kate asked.

"I think we'd best try and see for ourselves." Conrad replied as he motioned for Kate to follow Roadblock and Stormshadow.

The Pit, The Laundry Room
Todd Tolansky
17 February 2002, 1151

Todd poked his nose into the laundry room, "I wonder if there are any spare quarters in here?"

Todd walked into the room, looking around, hearing a scuttling and shuffling sound behind him.

"Wh-who's there?" Todd began.

Something ran behind him into a pile of laundry. Todd gingerly crept up to it and lifting the rumpled towel slowly to reveal what was hiding underneath.

Todd's eyes widened. It was a small child, just barely a toddler with bright blue eyes and a wild mop of black hair wearing a tiny sailor suit. But most prominently the little boy had flippers, like a seal lion instead of hands and feet.

"Huh? Where did you come from?" Todd asked.

The little fellow merely blinked, curiously.

"Hey, you must be a mutant! Gotta be with those flippers! Hey, I'm a mutant too, watch!" Todd said.

Then Todd did a backflip, landing on the far wall. He scampered around on the walls and ceiling and with a flourish he landed on the floor.

"Ta Da!" Todd said.

The little boy giggled and Todd said, "Oh you like that, huh?"

Todd smiled, pleased with himself, "Presenting the Amazing Todd the Toad! Mutant entertainer extraordinaire!"

He did a few more flips and bounces, much to the infant's delight. He even did several tongue flicks, turning on and off several lights. The little boy clapped his flippers and squealed with delight and Todd picked him up and twirled around with him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HIM!?"

At the sound of the angry female shout Todd found himself knocked on the floor, staring at the feet of a very angry girl. She was about his age, with long black hair dyed with a few electric blue streaks. She was a head taller than him, wearing a dark blue tank top, jeans, and a black leather jacket, her ears adorned with a pair of Chinese coin earrings; a shell necklace and fingerless black leather gloves. She also looked like she could take on Wolverine in a fight and win and take on the X-men immediately afterward.

She set the little mutant whom she was cradling in her arms, before balling her hands into fists as she demanded, "What do you think you were doing with him?"

Todd blinked as he looked up at the girl, "I wasn't doing anything. This little flipper guy snuck up on me."

"That little flipper guy is my brother!" the girl snapped.

The little mutant crawled over to Todd and wrapped his arms around Todd's leg, "Toddy! Mine!"

"Huh?" The girl replied, with confusion etching her features, "Well I'll be...He likes you. He's usually very shy with strangers. He never does that."

"Well we ain't strangers now," Todd replied, "Todd Tolansky. Call me Toad."

"Toad, huh?" the girl replied, looking him over, "Althea Delgato. Don't call me Al!"

"You don't look like an Al." Todd replied, before turning to the little mutant, saying, "And what's your name little guy?"

"Claudie." the baby mutant said.

"His name is Claudius." Althea said as she picked her baby brother up.

"Cute little fellow," Todd replied, "It's nice to see another mutant here, even if he's only a baby."

He tousled Claudius' hair and the little boy giggled.

Shipwreck rushed into the room, with Roadblock, Kate and Conrad behind him.

"You found him?" Shipwreck said.

"Yeah, Toad here got him. Call off the Code 22."

"Code 22?" Todd asked.

"Escaped baby." Althea explained, "For someone with flippers my baby brother is insanely fast. Maybe if someone was paying better attention to him he wouldn't get out so much."

Flippers? Kate thought. Well, no kidding the little fellow is a mutant. Why wasn't that in my briefing?

Kate noticed Conrad smiling, holding up his right hand and wiggling his fingers, as the toddler looked at them and blinked.

Althea glared at Shipwreck, meanwhile, "I told you to watch him!"

"I was watching him!" Shipwreck replied.

"More like watching the football game." Althea countered, folding her arms, "Just one minute while I got his bath ready, that's all I asked for, one lousy minute!"

"I told you I was gonna do his bath." Shipwreck added with a glare.

"After the last time?" Althea said, incredulous, "You got soap all over the bathroom!"

"I told you I wouldn't use that much bubble bath again!" Shipwreck replied, eyes rolling.

"Yeah right." Althea countered.

"Hey, when Shipwreck Delgato makes a promise he keeps it."

"You have the same name as her?" Todd asked Shipwreck, "You related or something?"

"Well I am her father," Shipwreck replied, "Or so I'm told."

"Sheesh. Why are the cute guys always so dumb?" Althea asked.

"What?" Todd asked, he wasn't sure he heard her correctly.

"Come on baby, bath time. Wave bye bye…" Althea cooed at her little brother.

"Buh bye." Claudius said, giggling and waving.

"See ya around, Little C." Todd said.

"You'll have to forgive my daughter for being so rude." Shipwreck said, "I'd say it was that time of the month, but she tends to be like this longer than a few days."

"Shipwreck!" Kate scolded.

"She just needs to work with her social skills with boys her own age…" Shipwreck added.

"DADDY!" Althea shouted.

"Maybe you two should hang around a bit more." Shipwreck suggested, stroking his beard in contemplation as he did so, ignoring the death glare Althea was fixing him with, "You could hang about the house for a bit…"

"Da-ad…" Althea glared, turning red.

"What?" Shipwreck said, "You said he was cute. You never say guys are cute."

"Okaywegottagobyebyenow!" Althea said, grabbing Shipwreck by the arm with a free hand as her blush deepened.

"Oh for crying out loud it's not like I'm asking you to make out with the guy in your room!" Shipwreck said as he was dragged out of sight.

Kate, Conrad and Todd beheld the spectacle before them and it was a long time before any of them spoke.

Kate broke the silence, "Is it just me or is Shipwreck…"

Roadblock rolled his eyes, "Yes, Shipwreck is a bit of a lunatic."

Tim, is that what you meant? Kate thought. A bit of a lunatic doesn't cover it when it comes to Shipwreck…

To Be Continued...