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" What.....what..." Toad whispered. He'd been huddled in the corner ina fetal position lightly tapping his head against the wall. He was kept under constant observation. Someone was always sitting by. Scott took this turn. " What....what..." " What is it that these dreams mean?" Toad looked around frantically. Where did that voice come from. " Who?" " Over here!" Toad glanced to the bed he'd been in and out of the past few days. There, he saw....himself...an exact mirror image...save the clothing. His doppleganger wore spotless white pants...and a white hospital tee. He was barefoot and looked as though he were from some hospital and waltzing around after something like...having his tonsils removed. " You're...me...but..." " Yeah yeah yeah." His mirror image waved him off. " I'm a small portion of your subconscious. No, I'm not an angel, no I don't need wings and no I'm not going to show you what the world would be like without you." " What's your purpose?" By now, Scott had arched an eyebrow, seeing Toad talking to thin air. " My purpose, " Mirror sighed, "is to ease your mind of all your problems. Make things a little clearer...then to heal you forever of them." " Have they ever been?" Toad growled. Mirror shrugged, " Maybe. You tell me...I'm your thoughts, remember?" " I'm worthless....something happened to me...I don't know what." " You're not the only one suffering I'm sure of it, Toad." Mirror stopped and scowled, " I can't believe you let people talk to you that way." " Hey, the name fits....I'm only living up to what few and disgusting expectations people have for me." Scott stood up and stepped back, peeking into the hallway for anyone who could give him some advice with how to handle a delusional Toad. " Whatever," Mirror sighed. " How many other defects can you remember?" " At least a dozen...give or take." " Ever wonder about them? Who they were? If they even exist?" " They were my age...how would they remember this place if I can't?" Mirror glanced at the worried Scott and smiled, " Maybe I ought to come back later. You're already out of your mind as it is...you don't need me to prove it." " Bastard." " I know...we REALLY need to work on you." ** Xavier checked Toad over. He seemed to have no reaction whatsoever. His mind-scans showed no sign of this imaginary person. Strange. " Do you feel up to coming down for something to eat, Todd?" " Maybe." " It's snowing outside...care to sit in the lobby and watch?" " Why should I care if it's snowing?" Toad snorted. " Oh, I DO so love snow!" Mirror clapped. Toad peered over his shoulder but ignored the presence. He sighed, " Sure...I'll grab some grub and...watch the snow I guess." Xavier nodded, " No one should bother you. Most everyone is outside." " Lucky them," Toad muttered. " That's fine. I've never been a big fan of snow. Dunno why though. I like summer. I like...swim..." he stopped as he felt that fuzzy feeling deep in his brain. " Todd, are you alright?" Xavier asked, leaning forward. " Yeah....just...a dizzy spell. Got up too fast...yeah." ** Toad sat in the den, peering out the large windows. Those X-Kids looked as though they were having a ball. They were building snowmen...having snowball fights...making snowangels. Even the Brotherhood seemed to be getting along with them. " Awwww....I know what you're thinking." Mirror smiled, hopping over the back of the couch and plopping beside...himself. " You're thinking that you did that." " Nonsense," Toad whispered, not even looking at his doppleganger. He kept his eyes on the winter wonderland. " Maybe. Y'know, if you hadn't gone nutty...there'd probably be a fight. How sweet...you've created peace and harmony among mutant kind." " Shut up!" Toad hissed, still not facing it...but narrowing his eyes at the bright whiteness. " You don't like snow, do you?" " For someone who claims to be my thoughts, you sure are stupid when it comes to what I'm thinking. Can it be you lied to me?" " Lied? That would then mean that everything you've known about yourself is a lie. That can't be possible, can it?" Toad grit his teeth, " I know who I am." " Who are you?" " I'm Todd Tolansky. I'm the Toad. I'm a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. I'm..." Mirror interrupted, " You are nothing but some little orphan boy with special disgusting skills. You have no clue where you come from, who your parents are...and you are plagued with such a realistic pack of nightmares that you aren't even sure anymore if they are just nightmares. Even if you doubt that fact, you're still as lost and clueless anyway, having no knowledge of these events and no clue of hor to persue them....and you don't want to make a fool of yourself over something that seems like a horrible dark fantasy out of some freaky sci-fi movie." " SHUT UP!" Toad spat, turning around and swinging a punch at Mirror, who dodged with a cackle. " Such rage, Toad! I struck a nerve? Oh, what oh what is hidden deep within your subconscious?" Mirror sounded almost seductive as he came in very close to Toad, almost strattling him and getting right next to his ear. He whispered in that tone...wanting to make his physical self shudder. " Ever have homosexual fantasies, Toad?" " Get off me!" Toad tried pushing Mirror from him, but to no avail. " Is that a yes? Do you fantasize about how it would feel to have a man treat you the way you've always wanted to treat your dream woman?" " Stop it. You don't know what you're talking about." Mirror laughed and smiled wickedly at Toad, still straddling his lap, " Do I? Do I not? I'm your subconscious. Hmmm...if it's true...who do you fantasize about? Is it...Pietro?" " What?!" " He is Wanda's twin after all....and we BOTH know how Wanda makes your body react. How every muscle in your body tightens and you feel a tingle deep within your gut that travels to your groin. You dirty dirty dirty Toad." " Get off me!" " Am I right?" Mirror snickered evilly. " Look at him." Mirror turned slightly to point out the window at Pietro. He was right there, turned slightly sideways throwing a snowball at Evan some feet away. " He is rather lovely...just like his sister." " You disgust me." " Do I? Look at me, Toad. You have no clue who or what you are deep deep deep inside of yourself. Am I a lie? Or is this...this me...is this who you really are?" Mirror's voice became pathetic, almost as if he were taunting a crying child, " Such a desperate guy for love that you've thought about finding a man to love you...to take you under his wing? Why not? Not such a bad idea....after all...no woman wants the dishonor of being conquered by scum like you." " I've never fantasized about men," Toad scolded in a whisper. Mirror shrugged, " But the thought has crossed your mind..even for a millisecond, hasn't it? You sure seem to be getting excited about me talking about it." " You are aggitating me. Go away." Mirror leapt from Toad's lap and snuggled up very close to him, " I know what you want...what turns you on and gives you pathetic motivation to dream...to fantasize." " You know nothing." " That so? You imagine days just like this...alone in your pathetic white picket fenced yard and in your warm cozy three bedroom home deep in your mind...snuggled like this with your lady love....to have her nibble at your ear and breathe her hot breath on your neck. You want to hear someone tell you that you are beautiful. Is that why you fantasize about Pietro?" " I don't." " But, you do. You don't even realize it. Ever want to BE him? You have every reason to want to be. He's a lot to be jealous over." " I'm not jealous of Pietro. He's a prick." Toad insisted, becoming very angry at this...thing. " Pietro Maximoff aka Lensherr. How lovely he is. Perfect body....nice color nice shape. He has very nice powers too and inherited strong genes. Oh yes....and his father looks over him too. Calls him....acknowledges him. I bet he even praises him. Everyone acknowledges Pietro. Just about all the girls want him and I'm sure many of them have. Ever hear of complaints from the girls he picks up? He may not have had his birth mother...but he had the Maximoffs. At least he was left with a family that loved him. Look, even now, he has his family back together. His sister....his father. What does poor ugly Toad have?" " Stop it," Toad began to shake. Mirror prodded on however, seeing the pain in Toad's eyes and getting off on it greatly. " You have nothing. No parents. No family. No one to love you. What is your purpose, Toad? Would you believe you were meant as some benefit for mankind?" " A punching bag?" " Perhaps. I wonder what life WOULD be like without you. Not much different than now since you pretty much don't exist to the people around you anyway. Just a waste of space." " I can be worth something." Toad insisted, pushing back those painful tears. " To who? To Wanda? PLEASE!!!" Mirror hissed, slapping Toad across the face. " Face the FACTS!!! She DOES NOT like you. She puts up with you because you're a team member. Because you're there, not because she honestly cares. None of them do, Toad. Think hard....think....think back to Asteroid M." " What about Asteroid M?" " Awwww, you don't remember? No wonder you can't find anything about you. Your own team didn't even CARE about your loss. They were all too happy to leave you behind. And those left behind with you wanted nothing to do with you." " Mystique was left behind. She wanted me to come with her." " She USED you, Toad!" Mirror scolded. " EVERYONE is using you! You're a PAWN! You're crying...can't you even realize that you're CRYING! You know it...you know it's true." " What the HELL do you want with me?!" Toad yelled, leaping up and grabbing the invisible doppleganger. Mirror only cackled at Toad's sudden violence. " Why do you torture yourself, Toad? Why? Such suffering and you subject yourself to it. Do you enjoy it?" " You know very well that I don't." " Then why put up with it? They don't love you, Todd....but I do." Toad let go of the doppleganger and stepped back. This only made it smile wider. " Yes...you heard me. I love you." " Why?" " Because, I know you better than anyone else. I know your every little detail. All that makes you up." " Tell me about..." " Your past? I can't. You won't let me." " I'm letting you now." " It doesn't work that way. Something is keeping you from letting me tell you. Even I don't know what that is. But, your subconscious, Toad, is so dark and so bitter. What your brain is hiding away is nothing like what your heart is hiding away." " I want to be happy," Toad choked out, tears beginning to stream along his face. " You'll never find that here, Toad. Never ever here. But, what if you were able to travel through time? Or to another world...be worshipped as a god? It's pointless. Even if Magneto succeeds in his conquest...where will that leave you?" " I...I guess...I was hoping to a place of honor with the rest of the Brotherhood," Toad sniffed. " Idiot!!!" Mirror slapped Toad across the face hard. " You blind fool!" Mirror vanished, leaving Toad very hurt, pride-wise and very confused. He dropped to his knees and sobbed while he was alone...not knowing his abrupt movements had attracted attention from outside for quite some time during his conversation with himself. He tried to push Mirror from his mind, thinking about the snow. Snow was happy....very very happy. He hated snow but it was happier than....than... He felt himself go into a convulsion and dropped to the floor. He could hear the muffled gasps from outside but then he heard nothing....and everything had changed. *** ~Todd skipped over to the end of his large crib. He was getting rather big for it now. He had overheard someone talking about replacing the cribs with beds in this nursery. It was great. It meant he could interact more with his "brothers" and "sisters" of the lab. He peered over at the nurse who held up a heavy green jacket....his....it had T-3 embroidered on it. Perhaps it was...what he heard one person say...a surname. After all, Robert was T-2 and Latoya was T-4. What strange tags. The labs were rather lonely these days. New faces would come and go...always staying in Nursery 1 and never stepping foot in Nursery 2. Todd was never permitted to interact with the babies residing temporarily in Nursery 1. No point in forming bonds...they'd be gone within a week or two. Strange.... After walking into the hall with his winter gear, he smiled at a young woman who was walking by. She frowned and glanced at the nurse who smiled reassuringly at her. " He's one of our long-term residents, Ma'am. Your baby is fine." She seemed relieved. She beamed as an infant was brought to her. Overall nothing out of the ordinary. " What did you do to him?" She asked. " Genetic scans, Ma'am." The doctor replied. " He's perfectly healthy...but not what we're looking for. You may take him home." What is it that they looked for. And why did this baby get to go home? No one ever came to interact with him that way. He frowned. He'd spent three years in this lab with no true feelings or emotions shown to him. It was as if he were some tool. " C'mon Mr. Tolansky...we still have playtime." The nurse commented, taking his hand and leading him outside. Todd squinted his eyes. The snow on the ground made the light brighter. He got himself lose though and ran to the snow, plopping into it....and not liking the cold feel. He turned back to the nurse, wanting some reassurance...something to make him feel safe. He recieved nothing except a smile from the doctor behind her. However, that wasn't for him. Under his nose, his nurse had been having an affair with the doctor. But, he was too young for such things to be known. He began to experiment in the now. Testing how it felt, tasted. How interesting. He stopped playing when his hands went numb...then became painful. His face began to feel the same. He turned again to look for the nurse and doctor...to find he'd wandered to the other side of the yard....beside him was the iron fence and security cameras. It was beginning to snow again and already the snow was deep. He looked around more. " Na!" He called. The nurse had somehow aquired that nickname from the Nursery 2 toddlers. " Na!" He looked around some more and tried to walk, feeling his legs stinging. He dropped after a few minutes and began to cry and scream. His throat had become dry from his endless fit and he soon fell mute for his troubles. The tears had frozen onto his face, makin the stinging worse. " Na," he whispered and sobbed harder. How could she not hear him? Why wasn't she coming? He'd waited for a long time. The exact time was a mystery since he had no concept of time. All he knew was, the warmth he felt wasn't from a blanket...he was going completely numb. He felt his whole body go stiff and his mind became nothing but an icey blue nothing. Hot.....very hot....scolding...He slowly came to, glaring at the hot water he was placed in. He soon felt himself come to life and he began to scream, wail and cry. The nurses tried to quiet him with bath toys. It didn't work for long. When he was finally used to the water, he glanced around half-sobbing at the nurses. He was so angry with them yet he silently pleaded to be wrapped in a blanket and hugged...rocked...told that everything was going to be okay. He'd forgive....he had no concept of hatred....and things stayed in his mind, at this age, for almost no time. He frowned however when they simply left him alone naked in that tin tub and left him alone in that room. It was several minutes before the doctor came in and began to poke at him with needles and thingies. He protested as best he could but the doctor had become familiar with him. " T-3, you are certainly a unique one." Todd gave him a confused look. The doctor smiled and picked him up, setting him on the cold counter...geez it did a number on his bare behind! " Not a sign of frostbite. No real sign of hypothermia. I guess Elixer Frost was a success." Todd made baby noises which were rather negative. Perhaps a baby's way of weaving profanity. " Instead of the body dying, it merely shuts down and hybernates....much like a frog in the winter time. Once warmer conditions arise, the body springs back to life, well preserved and without injury...amazing. We'll have to see if it indeed works for more than a few hours." The nurse re-entered with Todd's clothing. The doctor smiled and held up one of his instruments, " Nurse, schedule two days from now another experiment similar to this one. Keep him preserved, if conditions allow for three days before the ‘thaw' to see if indeed Elixer Frost can prevent death by cold. And schedule a backup guinie pig. Let's say...T-2. He's not suffered any side effects so far. He'd be a perfect partner for T-3."~ *** " Toad! Toad! Wake up!" Came the screams. Slowly, Toad opened his eyes. There he was, in the mansion. Who was screaming for him? Scott? Was Scott still on watch? He glanced out the window and gasped, getting into a crouch and leaping behind the sofa, " Draw the shades! I never want to see snow again!" *** " Todd, things are beginning to happen to you. It's not unheard of for visions like these to mean something. I've dealt with issues similar before." Xavier explained. He never named Wolverine or Nightcrawler. That was business not of Toad's. " If I honestly knew anything, Professor, I'd tell you. But even I'm not sure what to make of them. I just know that they seem so familiar...and I don't remember them very well." " Fair enough. This may take some time. I'm not going to rush you. Just relax and when you think you have something you'd like to share, I'm here for you." *** Toad sat on the couch. He watched as people passed him, pretending he wasn't there. He saw Wanda go by a few times and he smiled inwardly. When she had passed alone he saw his chance, " Wanda..." She glanced at him and knelt in front of him. She felt some sympathy...being out of her mind a while too. " Is there something you need?" " No." " Then?" He lowered his gaze and forced a weak smile, " You're so beautiful." " I...uhm...thanks," she stammered, a bit unsure of how to react. She couldn't just be rude to him...not now...not in his condition. But nor did she want to give in to his advances. " Toad..." " I love you." " Toad..." " If you'd just let me, I think we could be happy together. You're such a strong and powerful woman with so much going for you. I myself may not be much, but I have a lot of strength too." " I think both of us are too young for marraige proposals, Toad," Wanda said gently, but feeling rather ill. " I've never genuinely wanted to impress anyone. It was always in return for something I needed or wanted. But, you...I genuinely want to be the man to make you happy. No one has ever made me want to do things the way you do." " Toad." Wanda sighed, trying to find the words. " Toad, I'm sorry. I'm very flattered though. I REALLY am, believe me. It's nice to have someone try to wisk me off my feet and try to romance me...but.." " But?" " I'm just not attracted to you. You're just not what I'm looking for." Toad went silent...his face blank. " Don't take it personally. I guess I'm not sure what I want. But, I'll know him when he comes. You just aren't that person. I'm sure there is someone out there better equipped to make you happy." Toad looked away from her. " Go." " Toad, I really am sorry...just.." " Go away," he growled, not even facing her. " That's enough. I don't need to hear any more." " I'm serious, y'know." Wanda urged. " We're just not the right type of match. But I bet...you just wait and see...I bet you'll find that perfect girl who will genuinely love you back when you try to sweep her off her feet and melt her with your sense of romance. You got potential for charm...but, it was never meant to be used on me." " Then I will never use it." " Don't make everyone else suffer because of me." Wanda tried to explain. " Just leave me alone." Wanda was silent a moment before giving a nod and walking quietly from the room. Toad lay down along the couch and sighed. " They all go away." *** ~Todd coughed. Elixer Frost was another no-go. Todd himself managed to survive the torturous and painful proceedure. His own mutations saving his life. The result was catching a congestive cold and bronchitis. The mucus in his system made him feel as if he could sufficate at any moment. So bad was his illness that he was prescribed heavy lung medication. It was actually a medication he did not mind taking...save the taste. How simple and painless...just press the button on the inhaler and breathe in. He wasn't about to celebrate the simplicity however. He rolled over on his bed. The room was dark. Night lights were off tonight...a bright full moon was all the light the room needed. Todd felt the urge to get up but every bone...every joint...every muscle hurt from his cold and his experiment aftermath. During his "frozen" period, the cribs were switched out for small toddler beds with rails. Simple in design and still hard as a rock with very rough pillows. He felt cold and empty on one side. He turned to that side and frowned. The bed next to him marked T-2....empty. He tried to sniffle, only to feel his head seemingly inflate from the congestion. He had to cough up the buildup so he could breathe. He hated having his air cut off. He was too tortured from his illness to cry. He was in the lab when they tried to revive Robert. He was first to be revived. It hurt like hell and he objected the poking and prodding. He felt so violated. However, T-2 wasn't very lucky. Todd's own natural mutations had reacted with the experimental drug to become frog-like in it's result...a hybernation sort of shut-down. Robert....he didn't have that luxery. He was preserved well....but during reviving, his blood cells had turned into thawed shards and he began to bleed from his ears...his eyes...his mouth and nose. Todd didn't understand the whole medical explanation. All he knew was he saw pieces of something and blood coming out of Robert's head. Explosion of the Brain. How lucky...how fortunate for T-3 that he did not suffer the same horrible demise as T-2. Yet he still felt that horrible sting from it. He was there and WATHCED him die. Watched him fall apart...and watched as the corpse was wrapped and taken away to another lab. He lay there now, staring at that emptiness. " I'm...tho..." he began before trying to sniff. It destroyed his power of speech. He couldn't wait until he was all better, " I'm...tho thorry, Robby."~ *** " Sorry?" Toad peered up to see Mirror peering at him from behind the couch. He scowled and turned away. " How did you plan on preventing that?" Toad shook his head, " Leave me alone." " Great defense." Mirror huffed. " You were never able to save him." " He would have been better off," Toad sighed. " It should have been ME. It would have saved everyone all this trouble." " The perfect boy." Mirror smiled. " Wanda...she turned you down." " Yes." " Why do you torture yourself. I told you. No one loves you like I do." " Then why do YOU torture me?" Toad asked quietly yet angrily. Mirror smiled, " I want you to see clearly. I've been locked away for so long, Toad. That's okay. I'll forgive you. I'll always forgive you." " For not talking crazy?" " But aren't I the deepest and innermost of your thoughts, dreams and fantasies? You wanted someone to love you. I told you very plainly...I love you." " You don't hurt the ones you love." " How would you know? You've never experienced true love of any kind." " Go away," Toad sobbed. " Crying again. You're so cute when you cry." " Go away!" " And yet with a strong side. Like a young lion....cowar until the prey is close enough. Then just bend backwards...easy prey." Mirror closed his eyes and sighed with a smile. " I love that about you." "Stop it. This is seriously messed up." " I know!" Mirror cackled, leaping over the couch and pressing Toad onto his back...pinning him down. " Seriously messed up and exciting. You're so viscious with me.....yet deep down I know you're becoming horribly excited and curious. Your own subconcious has created for you someone to love you." " I don't love you back," Toad growled. " I love..." " Wanda?" Mirror hissed angrilly. " She doesn't love YOU back. But...I...I love you back. You're absolutely beautiful and perfect to me." " You're crazy." " So are you...you're talking to imaginary lovers." " You are NOT my lover, Yo!" " Shhhh," Mirror replied seductively. " Not so loud. I've never known for you to be an exhibitionist." He frowned and cast a hard stare eye to eye with him. " I feel so sorry for you, Toad. I want to give you something...to prove I love you...to prove that I'LL take pity on you. I'll make everything....everything all better." Toad stopped struggling a moment to listen. "How...can you do that?" " I knew I'd get your attention," Mirror smiled, leaning in. " I need for you to trust me. Life hurts...but it doesn't have to stay that way. Not in the least." " Why...couldn't my subconscious be a woman...if you're so intent on me loving you back?" Toad asked quietly. Mirror smiled and kissed his forehead. " I can be anything you want me to be, Toad. But, before I can be anyone else for you to love...I needed for you to love you. You can love yourself, Toad....put your trust in me....when all is said and done...it can be just the two of us." " What good will that do?" " Loads. All you've ever wanted in life is to finally be happy and be loved. I can make you happy. Do anything to or for you that you could EVER dream of." " You're one sick puppy." " I could be Wanda." Toad's eyes went wide, " Wh...what?" Mirror smiled and leapt off him. " I can be Wanda if you want me to be. Male....female....human...mutant...animal. I can be anything you want me to be. Make me whatever your heart desires." " What's the catch?" Toad asked, slowly getting up. " Follow me. I'll make it all better. Then we can just be we for the rest of eternity. You'll never have to worry about these nightmares ever again. Won't ever have to worry about being rejected or stressing over being liked. You'll have everything you could ever need or want if you just put your faith in me." Toad was silent a long time before nodding, " Alright. I'll follow you." A gleam came to Mirror's eyes, " You won't regret this, Toad. Everything will be all better very very soon." *** Toad slept in the bed provided for him in his room at the mansion. For once he had a dreamless sleep. A tap however awoke him. " Neh?" " Wake up," a voice whispered. Toad opened his eyes and saw Mirror smiling at him. " I can't talk to you here. The watch..." " Some friend Freddy is," Mirror interrupted, pointing to Blob who was sound asleep in the chair. " Get up. I'm going to give you that special release I promised you." Toad was hesitant, but got up and began to follow Mirror down the hall. " Where are you taking me?" " Shhh. Just trust me." Mirror led him down the stairs and through this way and that until they reached the kitchen. " So neat and clean. Makes me hungry," Toad commented. " No time for eating, Toad," Mirror scolded affectionately. " Just close your eyes and relax." It leaned in and pressed a kiss against Toad's lips and then smiled, " I'll take very very good care of you. Just let me be your guide." Toad felt himself being moved...as though some force pulled invisible strings. No sounds came to him other than the sweet whispery singing of Mirror behind him. He felt a slight sting. " No," Mirror scolded, seeing him flinch, " just relax. It won't hurt long." " My..wrists..." Toad tried speaking...yet his voice refused to obey. " It'll be all over soon. I'll hold you up." Mirror was as good as his word, holding Toad tightly in an affectionate embrace. Toad felt so safe yet the sting in his wrists didn't dull. In fact it was coupled with a strange other feeling..a drippy feeling. " What's wrong?" Mirror cooed. " It's...not going away." " Keep your eyes closed. Want me to make it faster?" Toad was silent. Then finally gave a nod, " I don't want to hurt anymore." " Take it for just a few moments longer," Mirror whispered. Toad felt a sharp pressure against his throat..just under his adam's apple. It was uncomfortable when he swallowed. Mirror smiled and kissed Toad's cheek, still holding him on hi feet from behind, " Say good-bye to ALL of your troubles, Toad." It took every last ounce of energy he had to reply, " Good....bye..." the last came out more as a breath as he felt himself drop. But he never felt the floor. It was as if he fell into...nothing...or cushions sooooo soft that it felt like nothing. *** He opened his eyes and smiled. How lovely. It was warm and the air smelled of sweets and delicious foods and flowers. " Where am I?" His voice echoed. It was so pink and it was as if he were walking on clouds or pillows. He turned to see several young ladies dressed in togas with lyres, smiling at him. They had lovely butterfly-like wings. The first one...brown hair...blue butterfly wings with accents of orange and yellow. The second...red hair, green wings...same design as blue with same accents. The third...an African woman...black hair...purple wings with pink and lime green accents. They called to him and he could do nothing but to come over to them. " Ladies..." " Shhh," the Red-head smiled. " We won't let anything happen to you anymore." " Who are you?" The blue-winged woman smiled, " Angelique." " Persephone" From the red-head. " Isis," from the African. " Were you supposed to meet me here? Where's..." The three faery-like women giggled and wrapped themselves about Toad, nuzzling him and massaging him. " He couldn't make it, Toddles," Angelique cooed, leaning in to nibble on his ear. " But we'll keep you company for as long as you like," From Persephone. " Ladies...why don't we let him get settled in?" From Isis. *** Toad smiled as he lay covered only by a sheet. He reclined with his hands behind his head. " You ladies are the best." " We LIVE to make you happy, Toddles," Persephone swooned. " Spent my life chasing after women who wouldn't have me...and now is it possible I have three who can't get enough of me?" " Indeed," Angelique replied. " Which reminds me," Isis smiled, " Who would you like to try first?" " What what what?" Toad gasped with a squeak. " Memememe! Pick me, Toddles!" Persephone pleaded, getting on her knees beside Toad and batting her eyes at him. " Age before beauty," Angelique argued, sitting on the edge of the bed and teasing Toad's senses by twisting the sheet. He blushed horribly. Isis however, pushed her away and straddled Toad and pinned him down, " Now, you KNOW this goddess is your favorite right?" " No not her!" Angelique whined. " I wanna go first!" Persephone pleaded. Toad couldn't help but laugh hysterically. Here he was with three women who all wanted to sleep with him more than anything...and even FOUGHT over who'd get to experience him first. He wasn't able to choose since they all tried to force themselves at him all at once. Each trying to kiss him this way and that and trying something to make him choose his first lady. " Ladies ladies," he chuckled. " We have forever, do we not?" " Indeed," all in unison. " Why fight so visciously over me? I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to love each of you equally and individually." " So wise," from Persephone. " So suave," from Angelique. " So, let's go already," from Isis. Toad had no time to react when the three of them attacked him again. How frightening yet exciting. He smiled until he felt a sharp pain in his neck. " Hey!" He scolded. " Persephone! I'm not ready for such a rough form of foreplay yet, Yo." " But, Toddles," her voice was quite different now. " I couldn't help myself." He turned to her and gasped to see a horrible goblin like monster with huge sharp teeth. The wings horribly scortches and tortured. Her eyes black as deep-water fish. Her scaley skin and claws were menacing and her mouth was wide. Whiskers came from her lips...it was like some human/mutant catfish monster! " WHOA!" " But, Toddles," she said in a fishy voice, " You looked so tastey...I just had to have a sample." " Get away from me!" He leapt up, falling to the ground. He went wide-eyed to see all three girls were horrible monsters. " NONONONO!" " Toddles," from Isis, " Don't you love us?" " Don't you want us to make everything all better?" From Angelique. " This is WRONG!" Toad squealed. He got up to try and escape. They were fast however, grabbing him and pinning him back to his bed. " Naughty naughty," Angelique scolded. " Let us punish him," Isis suggested. " Yes, let's do punish him," Persephone cheered. *** " NO!" Toad shot up. He saw several concerned faces and Xavier beside him. " Where am I?" " You're still at the Institute, Todd," Xavier replied. Toad caught his breath and glanced at his wrists. They were wrapped in bloody gauze and bandages. " What happened?" " Scott told me about your conversation with thin air," Xavier replied. Toad blushed in embaressment. Everyone was present too. Nuts. " I was unable to pinpoint the source of this so-called dilusion. However, I think this is not an ordinary hallucination, imaginary friend nor the work of an ordinary mutant...nor yourself." " Then...what was it?" " I had a strange feeling. Luckily I came down when I did." *** Flashback... Xavier looked at his clock. 4 am...and Toad was downstairs? He set himself in his wheelchair and headed down. Something didn't feel right. Toad hadn't been so bold as to venture about the mansion at all let alone by himself since his arrival. There was something else. He had sensed the afterimage before but was unable to pinpoint it. He gasped when he saw Toad standing seemingly in suspended animation in the corner of the kitchen. " Demon of the mind!" He shouted. A shadow took form {much like the fish-forms in Toad's "Heaven"} and growled menacingly. A fishy voice replied, " How is it....a telepath? I've never been spotted before!" He kept his position. He held Toad up affectionately, otherwise the poor young mutant had begun to fall limp. Blood dripped onto the floor from the gashes on his wrists. The large butcher knife was held firmly in the creature's hand; blade pressed against Toad's throat. " Back! I'll kill him!" =What business do you have?!= Xavier demanded telepathically. The creature growled at this great power. " My master told me nothing about you. This is no concern of yours. I've come for HIM!" = What do you want with him?= " He must die if he's to be released," Mirror hisses. = Released?= " My master seeks to conquer his greatest threat...his greatest enemy! I've come to do just that! I take him now...no one will miss him. He's insignificant...so desperate for love he falls to easily into a trap of false promises. His life force will be taken to my home demension. We'll protect my master and those he protects." Xavier glanced at Toad. He wouldn't last much longer if something wasn't done. =Do you know anything about his suffering?= " I know everything. He's vulnerable now. He must NEVER learn of the meanings of his nightmares! Master forbids it! He must never learn anything...never about his potential...his nightmares....his destiny! The saying is true...the Meek Shall Inherit! But not this time...not if the Meek is destroyed before he becomes a threat." The figure squealed and dropped, feeling a zapping in it's head. He hissed and glanced up at Xavier, " Don't delay the enev..." =Silence. I will send you back to where you came from....and bring him back. Your fears only increase our need to discover the secrets behind his nightmares.= With that, Xavier summoned Beast, Storm and Wolverine. In the physical world, this creature was vulnerable. Plus, an extra set of hands would be neede to treat Toad's injuries. *** " So, they're all gone?" Toad asked. " Yes...for now." Xavier scratched his chin, " Todd, you MUST focus. Tell me what you know about these nightmares. Everything you see...no matter how insignificant." " Are we gonna do the brain-scan thingie?" He asked. " If you feel it's best. It's obvious something about those nightmares poses a threat to some unknown enemy. How these dreams are related I'm not sure. I've been unable to find a connection. However, it must be a very important part of some puzzle if creatures from other worlds are coming to remove you from some destiny." " Toad important?" Pietro chuckled. " Who'd have thought?" " He tried so hard to convince me that I was so insignificant...that...I'd commit suicide." Toad realized aloud. " Professor, I want to find out what these nightmares mean. Maybe I'll remember something...I'll do whatever it takes." " Then we'll begin." To Be Continued... | ||||
