Quadrilateral

A carnival had come to town. Being a nice Sunday afternoon, several people went...including our mutant friends. Each of them went their own way, finding what they deemed to be entertaining.

" You call that acrobatics?!" Kurt yelled to the acrobats flipping down from the trapeze.

" Kurt, don't be so rude," Scott whispered, feeling himself turn red.

" I'm not being rude. My mother and I can do better with our eyes closed and our hands tied!"

" Hey!" One of the acrobats retorted, " Do you know how hard it is to do those tricks, you little brat?!"

Kurt made a sarcastic thinking motion, " Uhm, ja! I do! And I can do better!" The crowd began to snicker at such a insubordinate mouth. " I was raised in a traveling circus!"

" Ooooh, sure, kid!" The acrobat laughed. " You think you can do better? Show me!"

Kurt stood at attention, " Javol!" He stepped up and skipped to the mast, climbed it and reached the top.

" Hey kid! Need a net?"

" Net?!" Kurt squeaked, " How insulting! I'm a professional!"

" Your neck, kid, not mine."

Kurt took a deep breath, leapt from the mast, flipped on the trapeze, swung forward, grabbed the opposing mast, flipped backwards, grabbed the pole of the mast, swung around, landed on the high wire rope, flipped from it, and landed gracefully landed on his feet on the ground, spreading his arms and awaited the adoring cries from the crowd. Just like the old days. After receiving his cheers, he skipped from the platform.

" Hot dog," Scott laughed, shaking his head.

" Good idea," Kurt smiled, " I'm hungry."

***Elsewhere***

A grunt. " Missed again!"

It was Lance! He tossed another dart.

" Calm down, Lance," Pietro snickered, " It's just a game."

" Do we have to watch him?" Blob asked.

" It's amusing to see him get all frustrated and all," Toad added, " But, this is getting boring. I've eaten enough mosquitos here to make me puke."

Lance cast him an offended look. Pietro stood straight to stretch his legs, " Let's split up. We can meet back here in an hour and a half. I wanna check out the arcade."

" Fine! Go!" Lance spit out with frustration.

" Heh. Win me prize," Toad joked as they left Lance behind.

***In the arcade***

Life just can't be easy. Toad and Blob gave a yawn. They hadn't even gotten into the arcade when Pietro spotted Evan. They spat their usual words of hate at each other and were now engaged for the last ten minutes in a virtual battle on one of the games. To distract the other, one would push or slap the other. Of course, the other would always rebuttle. It's amazing a game could be played at all.

" This is getting boring," Blob whispered to Toad, knowing Pietro would have no trouble involving them in the fight. Toad nodded, " Yeah, we still got a while. I'm outta here. Wanna check out the Funhouse."

" I like that idea," Blob nodded, " I want cotton candy."

" Like you need cotton candy," Toad snickered under his breath. They were suddenly distracted by Evan and Pietro. They were now simultaneously fighting now only on the game but now occasionally turning to one another slapping the other's face. Pietro must have been in a generous mood, considering Evan was actually able to slap Pietro in the face. They then regressed to pushing each other, yet still, with one hand, manipulating the joysticks to play the game.

" Whoa," Blob whispered to Toad on their way out, " Now, that is talent."

" With these two, who needs a funhouse?"

" Watch out for those freaky gypsy people!" Pietro smiled at him before being slapped in the face. He quickly returned that slap.

***Outside the funhouse***

Toad glared up at the huge painted fat woman on the side of the funhouse as he approached. The wail of an announcer stopped him in his tracks before he reached his destination.

" Hey!" The announcer called to him from outside a huge tent, like one used at the circus. Toad found himself approaching, though he was not amused. He saw some of the posters and knew this tent was set aside for the freak shows. " You looking for the bizarre and unusual? Come inside and see the two-headed cow!"

" No thanks. That doesn't moooove me."

" How about our bearded lady?"

" Any woman can grow a beard if she takes a razor to her face. Besides, that's just nasty."

" How about our goat-man?"

" Baaaad idea."

" Well, then," the announcer smiled, leaning closer, " Try to top this one. Come see our Incredible Frog Boy!"

Toad arched an eyebrow. If there was one thing he didn't need to see it was his reflection. However, a kid caught his eye sneaking out of the tent to a water bucket set up behind the announcer's booth. He was no older than nine, but obviously a mutant. Toad recognized some of those features as being some of his own. Along with those features, he wore a green spandex costume with dark green spots on the back. It almost reminded him of his own costume worn during his battles alongside the Brotherhood. The announcer turned around,

" Kevin! Get back in that tent, kid! I can't make money for the freak show if the freaks are running around out here!"

" I dunno about that," Toad laughed under his breath, hoping he wasn't heard. The announcer turned to him, " He's been a little out of sorts, recently."

Toad let out an annoyed sigh. It was like he could feel that disappointment in that kid. How weird. Someone as uncaring as himself now had feelings for some strange kid. He saw a moth flying about the announcer's head. He let loose his tongue and caught it and closed his eyes in an unsatisfied swallow.

" How....?" the announcer gasped.

" Keep your frog boy. I'm the Toad." He let out an unamused laugh as he proceeded to the funhouse. A hand shot out from under the tent and grabbed his ankle. It was Kevin!

" That was amazing! That tongue thing you did! I wish I could do that!" He smiled, " All I can do is hop and croak. Believe me, in more ways than one. My shows stink." He let out an odd laugh, " You going to the funhouse?"

" Yeah," Toad found himself replying, looking down at Kevin's olive face. He saw himself in those swampy eyes, big and watery. He saw the webbing on Kevin's hand and couldn't help but glance at his own webbed hand. " Hey," Toad said, feeling oddly generous, " don't let it bother you. Not everyone can have a toad tongue," a small chuckle, " If ya do end up with it, you'll feel that urge to launch for the first time near the back of your throat. The first time feels like a gag."

" You think I could do it?"

" Dunno," Toad shrugged, " And, hey, don't let them push ya around cuz yer a little kid. If you get into trouble, give me a holler. I got connections."

Kevin smiled. He was so innocent and gullible. He reached up and shook Toad's hand before slipping back under the tent, not wanting to get caught.

***In the Funhouse***

Toad leaped through the hampster wheel. For some reason it was always his favorite part of the funhouse. He zipped with a leap and a hop here and there through the obstacle course set before him. It was great! He couldn't remember smiling so genuinely. Near the end of the funhouse was the labyrinth of mirrors. He'd always found it to be challenging. Even now! He ran into the wall only once. Luckily no one saw him. Now, when in doubt, he would check over his shoulder and launch out his tongue to see if it would hit an angled mirror. He'd have it memorized one day.

A cry turned him from his track. He used his tongue as a guide to find an emergency exit. He had heard screams all day at this carnival, why would this drive him to leave his recreation? He exited the labyrinth and crouched behind a dumpster. He noticed Kevin! He was crouched submissively at the feet of some creepy gypsy woman cracking a whip.

" I said I was sorry!" Kevin cried, shielding his face. He was petrified, yet the tears could still be seen dripping down his face.

" Sorry isn't enough! Why don't you ever listen! You're my property! When I tell you to stay put, you stay put!" The woman scolded, cracking the whip over him again.

She raised it above her head again. However, something reached out and swiped it from her hand and tossed it aside. The woman looked as a tongue was being retracted. It was Toad! A coward by nature and yet for some unknown reason, he felt compelled to put himself between harm and a child.

" You like picking on little frogs?!" He taunted before he could stop himself. What was he doing?! He remained in his crouching position, ready to spring at the first sign of an attack. " Why not try picking on the Toad?!"

" What is this?" The woman hissed. She ran for him. He leaped into the air, did a flip with a half twist and landed back on his feet in the crouch. The moment she turned to him again, he spit goop into her face. She fell backwards, stunned at the attack. Toad held his ground between the cringing child and this fat gypsy woman. In the back of his mind he asked himself why. He couldn't stand up to enemies smaller than this woman, weaker than this woman. His expertise was in the flee, and here he was, defending. And, above all, he was becoming victorious in battle, a satisfaction, a high, and adrenaline rush he had never experienced before.

The woman slowly got up, wiping her face. " You....toad! I should turn you into one for that arrogance! No, no you'd like that too much."

He said nothing. His look said it all. The anger, the frustration, like his own breaking point. He wasn't going to let her push him around, nor that child that he was protecting. He felt the butterflies rise in his stomach, and not the ones he ate for breakfast either.

She stood straight and held out her hands, speaking some strange language. Then she smiled, " I can feel that you are a young man with a battle within yourself. Let me set you free."

Toad crouched again. He didn't know what this woman was planning. He really didn't have much of anything verbal on his mind. The next thing he knew, he was knocked back by a spell blast. He fell on his back, just before Kevin's side. Kevin lifted his head, the tears still fresh on his face. " No, Madam Maive! No!" He pleaded. She waited a moment and cast him an evil glare, but left him and his "protector" there. She turned back with only one message, " Kevin, I've had enough of your insubordinations. I took you in after that circus kicked us out on the streets! Is this the thanks I get for being a mother to you?! You're fired!"

***A few minutes later***

Kevin had seen the blast split Toad in several directions. He had become torn into four Toad's, each different in appearance to some degree. Kevin shook the Toad closest to him. He wore a red suit, his hair was so neat and tied back in a tail. He was...aristocratic and appeared gentlemanly. He awoke and turned onto all fours, pulling himself up erect. He stood proud, his snoot in the air.

" Toad, you okay?" Kevin asked.

" Oh," he said, turning to the boy, " don't call me that. What a horrible nickname, I never did like it."

" Well, what should I call you?" Kevin asked.

" I'm Todd Tolansky." He rubbed his fingernails on his vest, " And that seemed like such an odd experience."

" Thank you so much...uhm, Todd. I'm glad the only thing I lost tonight was my job. It would have probably been worse for me had you not shown up."

" Think nothing of it, Lad," Todd replied, muffling the boy's hair and pulling out a pocket watch. , " Now I must bid you adieu. I must meet my colleagues."

" What about the other yous?"

" Let them go on their own."

With that, Todd left the other three behind with Kevin. A second Toad woke up. He sat up with the loudest belch he could muster. He was filthy! He wreaked of a horrible odor, like bay-water, a sewage drain, a dumpster and armpit odor. It attracted flies in no time, which he would pick off here and there. Kevin checked from a distance, hoping he was alright. He seemed okay. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and just hopped off, like nothing was wrong.

Next to wake was a wide-eyed Toad. He looked around often, as if paranoid. He was dressed in everyday Toad attire, those jeans with the ripped knees and that sweatshirt combo. He took one good look at Kevin and screamed, bolting off like no tomorrow.

Finally there was the last Toad. He was dressed all in black, with a long black trenchcoat. He wore dark sunglasses, even in this darkness and black leather gloved with no fingers.

" You gonna be okay?" Kevin asked him.

" Beat it, Kid!"

" Toad?"

He turned on the boy, " No, Toad is a terrible little bundle of slime! I am his better side. I'm the Terrible Toad King!"

***Not too long after, back at Lance's game***

" A stuffed skunk?" Pietro asked with a smile, staring at the little toy Lance had.

" Hey, man, it's a prize." He retorted. Blob emerged from behind a giant cone of cotton candy, " Where's Toad? He's late."

At that, " Toad" approached...all in black. He grabbed Blob's cotton candy and took a big bite before handing it back.

" Hey!"

" What's the big idea, Toad?" Lance growled, " Have you gone mad?"

An evil glare came from him. He approached Lance quickly, grabbing his vest and lifting him from the ground with amazing strength, " No. I've not gone mad. I've gone bad! From now on, I call the shots around here! Not you, Rocker Boy, not Tubby Tom, and not Speedy Daddy's Boy. I'm the Terrible Toad King!"

He tossed Lance aside. The other two backed off, wide-eyed. He spit into all their faces before walking past them.

The Fearful Toad leaped on. He wasn't looking where he was going and so bumped into Scott's leg and fell onto his chest.

" What in the..." Scott began.

" Man, he looks freaked," Kurt observed, looking down at him. Fearful Toad screamed again and tried to bolt. He, however, bumped into Todd! Kurt and Scott's eyes got wide.

" Oh, man! Two of them!" Kurt gasped. Fearful Toad leaped off....in fear. Todd, however, stood proud, " My good fellows, I seem to have lost my way and forgotten where to find the arcade where I must meet my comrades. Could you point me in the right direction?"

" Toad?" Scott questioned.

" Oh, no, silly Scott. Just call me Todd. Proper names should be placed with their proper owners."

Evan suddenly called out, " Look who I found crawling in the dumpster!" It was Filthy Toad. Evan held him up by the collar of his sweater. He belched in reply.

" What's going on?!" Scott demanded.

" Oh my. I seem to have caused a dilemma. There was this boy..."

" There you are!" Kevin panted, leaping past people and over to Todd's side. Todd replied with a smile, " Such a good ol' boy. This fine lad is the boy I meant."

" Kevin?" Kurt asked suddenly.

" Who are you?" Kevin asked, eying Kurt well.

" It's me! It's Kurt....Kurt Wagner. Nightcrawler. Remember me?"

Kevin looked hard a minute. Kurt went on, " How did you get here? We were worried sick about you when you disappeared."

" You know him?" Scott asked.

" Ja. Kevin Hans. He used to live with us at the circus. I've known him since he was a baby. Two years before I came here to America, he just poof and vanished."

" Madam Maive brought me here, telling me we were homeless." Kevin replied, but decided Toad was more important right now, " Madam Maive was beating me! And, this Toad guy came out of nowhere and helped me. She put a curse on him and now there's four of them running loose!"

" Madam Maive," Kurt growled under his breath. He felt it vibrate in his chest.

" It was quite unlady-like," Todd replied.

" Toad put himself in a fighting situation...on purpose?" Scott asked, not believing his ears. He looked at Filth again, who snatched a fly. Evan dropped him, and surprisingly, he was contented enough a "Toad" to stay put.

" She was a very rude and uncoothe woman," Todd continued.

" Well, we have you two in custody," Scott sighed, " It's a start. One just ran off. We should go after him. If we can get all four Toads together, we might be able to figure a way to get them back together."

" I don't think it'll be easy," Kevin said shamefully, " There's one...he...he's mean. He calls himself the Terrible Toad King."

" Ol chap is mean," Todd commented. " He's the pent up anger and frustration the whole self had locked away."

" We're talking about Toad here," Evan shrugged. " How hard can it be to beat him?"

" Sorry to bust your bubble, Mr. Daniels. The Terrible Toad King is much stronger than you think. He possesses the adrenaline, the ability to use the powers and the super-strength. He has no conscious, no remorse. He is the side of evil, and he is vengeful."

" If the whole you was so strong, why not take the advantage?" Scott asked, surprised he had actually asked so. Todd lowered his head,

" We all made up `Toad.' I was his sophisticated side, though, as you can tell, he didn't let me go freely either. Fear often held the Toad King back. You'll often see him regress to that. Then there's Filth....he....is just nasty. Defeating the Toad King will not be easy."

***With the Bad Guys***

" I'll crush that little....uhm...little...toad!" Blob growled.

" I'm gonna rock his world." Lance chimed in.

" After what he just pulled," Pietro began, " I'm gonna....gonna...heck I'm gonna run and hide."

Lance and Blob glanced at him. He was a bit freaked. However, Fear suddenly ran splat into them. Blob grabbed him by the scruff of his sweater and picked him up.

" You got some explaining to do, Toad!"

Fear curled himself up, a tear falling from his face and inverbal squeaks coming from his face. To his benefit, the X-Men approached close behind.

" Let him go!" Scott called.

" Beat it, Summers," Lance growled, " He has a date with some fists."

" You don't understand!" Kevin called out.

" Who's that kid?" Pietro asked.

" Please, do hear us out," Todd pleaded. The eyes of the Brotherhood widened, their mouths dropped open.

" Please," Todd continued, " Any problems you have been caused is not from this chap. Sorry to say, it was another."

" Give us a minute to explain the situation," Evan asked. Pietro looked at his watch, " You got a minute. Talk fast."

Evan sighed but decided not to waste time, between him and the other present X-Men, young Kevin and Todd, the whole story came out. The Brotherhood took a good look at Fear, Todd, and the belching Filth.

***An hour later***

" Tell me again why I'm buying your pizza, Pietro."

Pietro shook his head, " Because you lost the game, Daniels. We made a bet. Loser buys dinner for the winner."

" How rotten," Kurt smirked.

" It was a friendly rivalry bet," Pietro defended, seeing Evan becoming embarrassed. Blob gulped down his piece of pizza and whispered to Lance, " He's freaking me out." He pointed to Todd. He sat ever so daintily in his spot, eating properly with his knife and fork at his pizza. Filth didn't care about etiquette. He rubbed the pizza in his face, being as messy as possible. He chewed with his mouth open and belched after so many bites. He reached for another slice, but Todd whacked his hand with the spoon he had stirred his iced tea with. Fear, on the other hand, poked cautiously at his piece, wincing away as if the pizza would spring alive.

" Man, we have to get them back together," Kurt sighed, feeling himself becoming a little nervous. He pressed himself back against Scott to further himself from the very odd Toads. Fear turned to him and screamed, leaping on the back of the chair. Blob grabbed him and sat him back in his seat. " The pizza is dead!" He said, pointing to the piece. " Dead pizza, dead pizza."

" I believe our fearful quarter is referring to his disagreement of recombining with the rest of the quarters." Todd explained, " This is the most freedom any of the sides has ever had. Toad is not one to favor a feeling. He prefers to be artificial. If one's not true, one cannot be emotionally destroyed. Besides, it is very unlikely any of you can take down the Terrible Toad King. He'd never take too kindly to being locked away again."

Filth belched. Lance felt dizzy, smelling that breath and those flies dropping into Filth's drink. He felt he was going to be ill.

" What if you don't go back together?" Scott asked.

" I would remain my ever so charming self," he stopped and kissed the hand of the waitress who had brought a fresh glass of iced tea for him, " Fear would remain....fearful. And Filth over here would remain in dire need of sanitation. As for the Terrible Toad King, he'd perhaps go bizerk. With his conscious sides absent, he won't hesitate to do harm to others.

" Then, let's look for him!" Pietro demanded, zipping past them, outside.

***Elsewhere just a little bit later***

The Terrible Toad King had run amok. He ran from booth to booth causing mayhem. He had tossed a man over a rail, and dumped a kid into a waste basket. He overturned a security jeep and smashed a cotton candy machine. Several big men began fights to stop him, and all were won by him. Luckily, as of yet, no fatalities were caused.

" There he is!" Kurt pointed. He teleported back to his teammates to make sure he had been heard. Pietro zoomed ahead and tried to grab the Toad King by his trenchcoat. He was swiftly tossed over his shoulder and then back to the grass, making Pietro land on his shoulders.

" You can't stop me!" The Toad King called, " I'm stronger than your puny powers! How does it feel to be on the end that I was once on?"

Pietro tried to get up, but slipped backwards in the mud, twisting his ankle and dropping back down in agony. Kurt teleported in, making the enemy take a few steps back in surprise. He grabbed Pietro and teleported back to his teammates. Scott shot an optic blast. It caused almost no damage to the Toad King and was retorted by a spat of disgusting goop. Blob was next to step up to the Toad King. He pounded his fists together, " See if you can take down the Blob!"

" Ha! You're no match for me you fat tub of lard!" With no effort, he lifted Blob off his feet. This was an event that surprised everyone, as no one seemed to be able to lift Blob two inches let alone several feet over their own heads. With remarkable strength, the Toad King launched Blob into Lance, who was trying to trip him with a tremor. That same tremor created a crack fault where Lance fell, ultimately saving his life when Blob landed just short of being on top of him.

The Terrible Toad King was suddenly slung back to a wall. " Bulls eye!" Evan cheered for himself. But, the enemy wasn't defeated yet. He slid out of his trenchcoat, freeing himself again. He pulled one of the spikes from the wall, " En guarde!"

Kurt was next to jump in. He teleported in to take another spike from the wall. The two began to partake in serious swordplay. With a lucky shot, the Toad King was able to tear the sword from Kurt's hand. It now looked hopeless.

It looked bad for the mutants. The Terrible Toad King was just too strong. He had brought them all down and had exhausted them all. He raised a spike to impale Kurt where he dropped. A tongue launched out and ripped the weapon from his hand. It was Filth! The Toad King was surprised at first, but saw an opportunity in combining his power with the power of disgust, and grabbed Filth, merging himself with him. His power had increased!

" Ach! Wunderbar!" Kurt whined, finding an opportunity to teleport to a safer distance. When he ported back in, The Toad King spat out goop, slipping Kurt where he stood and sticking him to the grass. Defeat! It smelled rotten! Both the present X-Men and the Brotherhood prepared for the worst. As the Toad King approached, however, Todd leaped forward and pushed him back.

" No, I will not let you hurt anyone else!"

" Out of my way, Priss!" He hissed back. " Those pathetic life forms are mine!"

" Fear!" Todd called back, " Help me!"

" I'm afraid!" Fear whined. Blob was finally able to get to his feet, grabbed Fear and tossed him into the action. He hit the Toad King dead on, knocking him down.

" He needs to have a balance of good and evil!" Todd declared, " Hold him!"

Blob tried to assist, but he slipped back on the goop and landed on his back. Fear was unable to hold him alone. His tongue wasn't strong enough. It was the only way to safely hold him down, but one tongue wasn't strong enough, Filth had been merged, and Todd lacked the tongue ability. Everyone else was down for the count...except for Kevin!

Kevin leaped forward in his froggish manner, " I'm coming!"

" Nein!" Kurt yelled, " Kevin, get back here! You're too little!"

He didn't listen. He leaped to the free side of the Toad King and tried to hold his wrist down with his body. The enemy's tongue launched and tossed him backwards. Luckily an awkward shot. Kevin sat up, " Oh, grr!" He looked on at the struggle. He suddenly felt a strange feeling he had never felt before. It was this strange tickly feeling in the back of his mouth. It was like he had swallowed a feather and it was stuck to the back of his throat. In an instinctive motion, he felt himself "gag" and...his tongue had launched. He was able to wrap it around the free wrist of the Toad King, and to his surprise, found it to be stronger than sitting on him. Todd began to merge himself. It was working! He was beginning to look like the old Toad again!

***After Todd's Merge***

" What in the..." Toad asked. He sat up and saw Fear watching cautiously beside him. Kevin leaped behind him and gave Fear a push with his tongue, knocking him into Toad and finally merging into the whole Toad once again.

" Toad?" Lance grunted, trying to pull himself from the fault.

" Yeah. What a trip." Toad replied. He turned to Kevin, " You...?"

" You risked yourself to save me," Kevin reminded with a smile, " I owed you that favor. And, it was kinda worth it. I figured out the tongue thing!"

Despite himself, Toad scooped Kevin up and hugged him. Everyone watched him wide-eyed.

***Days later, at the airport***

" Thanks for everything, you guys," Kevin smiled, ticket in hand. Kurt hugged him, " When you see my mother, tell her I love her and I miss her. Okay?" Kevin gave a nod, " No problem. I can't wait to go home. What about Madam Maive though?"

" I dunno." He replied, " I don't think we'll see the end of her yet. But, for now, let's be thankful no one was killed and that our injuries were minor...short of Quicksilver's broken ankle."

Kevin turned to Toad. He had insisted on coming to see the boy off. He ran over and hugged him.

" I'm gonna miss you too, Toad."

" Yeah, don't cry over it," he replied, pretending to not care. " Just be careful who ya stick that tongue out at, kid. And keep it away from icy ponds and flagpoles." He muffled the boy's hair.

The announcement came for the flight to Germany. " Well," Kevin sighed, " This is it."

" God speed," Scott wished.

" Bon voyage," From Kurt, trading in his usual German for a French phrase.

" Keep in touch, kid!" Toad called.

" I promise!" Kevin waved, entering the ramp.

***Leaving the airport***

" Nice kid," Toad admitted.

" I still can't believe that story about you jumping in to save some strange kid for no reason." Kurt suddenly spit out.

" I guess it was some kind of impulse," Scott smiled, trying to explain it himself. " Might be hope for the Toad after all."

Toad shrugged. He truthfully couldn't say why he did it per se. But, the thought arose and he used it, " He reminds me a lot of me when I was a kid. I suppose helping him was like......I dunno....helping myself I guess. Kinda mysterious eh? I suppose it was worth the effort. He was able to master the art of tongue-flipping, and he saved a couple hundered lives by helping me get myself together. How many kids can do that?"

Toad silenced after that. He felt unfamiliarly satisfied in himself, even a proud smile came over him. However, he knew this good streak wouldn't last, but, for now, he wallowed warmly in it.

END