Through the Fog, part 12-14.

[ladydrace]

Title: Through The Fog
Series: X-Men Evolution
Pairings: Nightcrawler/Toad
Part: 12-14/19
Rating: Various ratings across chapters.
Warnings: Future fic. (In this part, violence and hints of sex.)
Beta: None on this story. I take full responsibility for any and all errors.
Feedback: Yes please.
Disclaimer: I don't own any prehensile goodies, green or blue. Damn it all.
Summary: Todd gets an unexpected visit from his past after 10 years, and the war moves in again.

Chapter 12

Todd was dreaming. He was back in the alley. Dying. This time he was seeing things through his own eyes, and not from the sidelines. He felt his warm blood pooling around his face, resting on the filthy tarmac. Why was he here? He couldn't remember why he was here. What had he come here to do? There was something. It was nagging at the back of his brain. What was it? It was something important...

He heard the horrified gasp when Kurt saw the damage done and he smelled the sulfur as the elf disappeared. What a bummer way to go. Face down next to an overstuffed dumpster in a filthy alley. And to be bested by the fluffy nerd of nerds. What had Fuzzy done to him? One minute they were locked in combat, wrestling equally, and then suddenly his skull had cracked open and Kurt had kicked him in the chest. Wait... didn't it happen the other way around? No... no the kick definitely came after.

His arm snapped as he flew limbly into the edge of the dumpster and he fell heavily to the ground. He couldn't seem to move at all. Time seemed to be moving very slowly. The darkness crept in on him. A small gust of wind and a cold hand on his arm. Pietro. Darkness.

Todd sat up in bed with a strangled gasp, heaving for air. His lungs felt empty and it took a second for him to realize that it was ten years later and he wasn't dying. A warm, soothing hand stroked his back and Kurt sat up next to him.

“Bad dream?”

Unused to having a bed partner, Todd stiffened for a minute at the warm touch, but eventually he relaxed and simply nodded into the darkness.

“What time is it?”

Yellow eyes scanned the clock next to the bed.

“Still too early. Go back to sleep.”

Kurt laid himself back down and opened his arms with his a crooked smile that clearly showed his fangs in the darkness. Any other night Todd would probably have given up on sleep, but the offer of a loving hug was too tempting. So he allowed himself to push the dream away and lie down with his furry lover. Kurt was very hot. Like he had been lying in the sun soaking up its warmth for hours. Todd chilled easily and he couldn't suppress a heartfelt groan of pleasure as he snuggled in close. Kurt smiled into his hair and soon his breathing slowed to sleep mode again.

But however comfortable he was, sleep eluded Todd. The dream wouldn't go away and the feeling that there was something important in it nagged him even more when awake. Damn Xavier and his mind reading. It fucked up his brain.

Why had he been in that alley? Had he just been roaming and picking pockets as usual? No, there was something important he came to do. But what the hell was it?

Hours later Kurt stirred and in hope of avoiding questions about the dream, Todd dove under the covers and woke up his bedmate in the best way he knew. This was where he excelled after all. Kurt groaned and sighed as he woke up.

“Mein Gott... the next person who calls your tongue disgusting-”

“Won't get any o' this. Now shut up.”

“Jawohl... arh!”

Mere minutes later Todd was rewarded for his efforts and Kurt looked just about ready to pass out as Todd crawled back up to kiss him.

“Mornin' Fuzz Butt.”

Kurt looked at him with eyes slightly out of focus and blinked forcefully.

“Great God in heaven...”

Todd nipped at his neck and chuckled.

“Heh... you can call me Todd...”

Kurt snorted with laughter and rolled them both around. Todd gladly let himself be pinned down and ravished. He locked his hands behind his head and decided to just lie back and enjoy whatever Fuzzy had in mind. Administring touches similar to those Todd had bestowed on him earlier, they quickly reached the same delightful end result. Todd decided that this was certainly the way to start your day.

Their growling guts soon had them out of bed, even though the sun was only just on it's way up. The quiet mansion was beautiful as the early rays of light caressed the dark wood panels and chandeliers, while they walked slowly close together, elbows touching at every other step. Occasionally they would look at each other and smile as their eyes met in silent understanding and companionship. At the passage to the kitchen, they decided to head out to the grounds and Todd went directly to the front doors for a smoke, while Kurt fetched them something to eat.

Todd was just flicking away the last bud when Kurt appeared next to him in a puff of sulfur, carrying a bag of assorted goodies. Todd surveyed the contents and lifted a quizzical eyebrow at the sheer amount of food. Much more than even he would call breakfast. Kurt sent Todd a shy, blushing smile and stepped in a little closer.

“I thought ve could have a picnic later.”

Todd just couldn't resist that blushing and squirming, so he let the bag drop to the ground and pulled his furry lover close.

“I'd love a picnic. But for the record, you're a damn romantic sap Fuzzy.”

Again he blushed and Todd found it simply adorable. He couldn't help but wonder to himself who exactly was the romantic sap now. Letting one hand slide to Kurt's neck, he pulled him in for a deep kiss. Kurt sighed heavily against Todd and for the longest time they simply stood there kissing and enjoying the closeness. They only pulled apart when there was a heavy thud close by. Turning their heads they found a very shocked looking Scott, who had evidently dropped his large duffel bag at the sight of them and was now glaring rather menacingly.

Todd was in no mood for Scott's insults. He would much rather kidnap his blue elf into the woods and ravish him for the rest of the day.

“Want somethin' Summers?”

Scott sneered and Todd felt Kurt tense against him.

“No, but it would be nice if you could keep your face sucking private. I don't particularly enjoy coming home to gay peep shows on my doorstep.”

Todd couldn't help but goad Scott. This opportunity was simply too good. He let his hands slide down until they rested on Kurt's buttocks and gave them a loving little squeeze.

“What's a matter Summers? Redhead still ain't givin' you any yet?”

Kurt closed his eyes with an uncomfortable grimace and moved away from Todd's embrace. Todd was a little hurt, but he was aware it was his own fault. Scott on the other hand looked furious.

“I swear, if it wasn't for the absurd fact that Kurt likes you, I would-”

“What? Want some o' this? Too bad for you, I'm all spoken for.”

Scott gritted his teeth and balled his fists. Todd would've welcomed the opportunity to kick some serious geek ass, if Kurt hadn't quietly interjected:

“Please Todd. Don't...”

He was standing a few steps away, arms crossed, looking absolutely miserable. The sight made Todd's insides churn and he suddenly felt physically ill at the thought that he had hurt his lover. Summers was the ultimate bastard and pissing him off was definitely one of Todd's top ten hobbies. But seeing Kurt so upset deflated the fun completely and Todd ended up feeling decidedly like he was the bastard.

Ignoring Scott, Todd went to Kurt and cupped his face in his hands.

“I'm sorry Fuzzy. I'm an ass. Forgive me?”

Raising his golden eyes to meet Todd's, Kurt slowly nodded and smiled. Pressing a very gentle kiss to the soft blue lips, Todd only vaguely heard Scott's annoyed huff and completely missed him stomping off towards the back door. Who could care about a prick like Summers when he had a sunny autumn day, a sweet lover and a picnic ahead of him?

Holding hands, Todd and Kurt sauntered leisurely across the morning misty lawns, eventually settling down on a marble bench to eat some breakfast. They didn't talk. They simply sat together in comfortable silence, watching the sun slowly rise and illuminate the lush surroundings.

It was a day without comparison to anything Todd could ever remember. Quickly forgetting the clash with Scott, he was thoroughly swept up in the pure joy of having no particular plans, no physical needs desperately demanding attention, and a loving companion by his side. The sun was warm without making the day unbearably hot, a light breeze toyed with his unruly hair and made the shining fur on his lover's face shift beautifully.

Was this what happiness felt like? Was this why people put themselves through so much shit to find a partner and settle down somewhere? As much as he usually would have sneered at someone expressing sentiments like these, he couldn't seem to keep the thoughts at bay. He was simply too starved of pleasure to keep up his usual shields. He found himself basking in the look of those golden eyes constantly seeking him. Caught himself smiling stupidly every time he saw it.

The thought of his departure tomorrow seemed so far away and for the moment... just for the day, he would allow himself to pretend he was happy. That his life was good and that he was loved. That there was no war, no Magneto, no Bane. No torture, no starvation, no violence. Just two people, comfort and fun. Sunlight and laughter.

Taking off his jacket and shoes, Todd plucked at the grass with his bare, webbed toes, taking his time to wonder at the fantastic difference between them and those of his lover right next to him. Never covered with shoes, the two blue toes were slightly rough and had less hair than most of the furred body. His own greenish toes looked oddly glazed over. Like a smooth coat of varnish, making the light reflect of them like they were wet. Most of his body looked like that in places that were not much exposed to sunlight. His face and arms were a more dull texture. The glazing only really showed when he was wet.

So absorbed was he in his musings that it took him completely by surprise when Kurt suddenly grinned, pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and was gone in a flash. Looking around, Todd finally spotted Kurt sitting on a branch in the tree line of the small wood behind him. Reclining against the trunk of the tree, Kurt stretched like a cat, slowly and sensually. Still grinning, he licked his sharp, white canines while flicking his tail in an unmistakable 'come and get me' motion.

Todd was not one to be told twice, so he jumped directly from the bench to the tree, landing on a branch right below his elf. However, when he reached up to join his lover, there was another flash, and he was gone. Spotting him on a branch further into the woods, Todd chuckled, feeling the contagious playful mood of his companion seeping through him. Kurt made a good effort of tempting Todd to chase him. Lying down on his stomach on the branch and arching his back.

Todd laughed and let himself be caught up in the fun. Pretending he wasn't interested, he made a good show of being very fascinated by something in the tree above Kurt. Finally realizing that he didn't have Todd's attention, Kurt looked up. At that second, Todd jumped and only his slightly miscalculated aim gave Kurt enough time to teleport away just before he was touched. As soon as Todd spotted the furry demon the chase was on.

Faster and faster they hurled themselves through the trees, laughing manically every time they got close. Jumping, running, swinging and propelling themselves forward, it was a game perfectly suited to their natural agility and challenged them both equally.

Much to Todd's irritation though, he was at a clear disadvantage. He didn't know the area like Kurt and had no regular training of any kind. But he did know a few things about his own skills that Kurt probably didn't. Waiting for the right moment, he jumped the second the next flash appeared and propelled himself upwards further into the tree. Appearing on a branch further away, Kurt swivelled his head, trying to locate his pursuer. Finding him no where in sight, his brow furrowed and his pointed ears twitched as he listened with all his might.

Hearing a sudden noise close to him he teleported by instinct and looked back to where he just was. Nothing there. This chase was really interesting now. Not only a battle of speed and agility, but suddenly a game of wits as well. Another sound right next to him made him flinch, but he repressed his urge to teleport. Turning to the sound instead he saw nothing and a second too late he heard a new noise behind him.

With a startled yelp, he turned his head just in time to see Todd hurtling at him from above with a triumphant grin on his face. Crashing into Kurt with a heavy thud, he made them both tumble off the branch in a tangle of limbs. Just before they hit the ground, Kurt's reflexes triggered again and teleported them both to a soft pile of leaves in a clearing nearby.

Laughing and wrestling they rolled around, not really fighting, not really playing. Something in between that was somehow very satisfying. When they eventually calmed down and simply lay beside each other with chests heaving, they both felt calmer than they had in years. A sense of harmony that was unusual to them both seemed to linger in the very air and made the whole thing very peaceful.

Relaxed as they were, none of them noticed the slight rustle of leaves and the shadow of someone approaching...

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Chapter 13.

It all happened so fast. Kurt's ear twitched right next to Todd and he felt himself be grabbed roughly and teleported to another location. They appeared not very far away and Kurt didn't have time to teleport them again, before a flying mass of what looked and felt like rock crashed into him and ripped his hand off Todd's arm.

Todd felt something graze against his jeans and jumped into the nearest tree to avoid whatever was chasing him. A handful of wood like needles pierced the tree right next to his face and he jumped again as he spotted Bane on the ground below, firing needles at him with a manic expression on his face.

“I believe we have a score to settle Slimy! No point in running! You'll just die tired!”

Todd of course had not the slightest intention of humoring Bane, but propelled himself further upwards, keeping as much foliage as possible between them. Some of the needles did still come through however, so Todd hurled himself from the treetop through the cool air, hoping to outrange Bane. He landed with a very heavy and clumsy crunch, about half way down another tree. Bane was still on the ground, but obviously not able to keep up with Todd. No longer firing needles, he was running along in the undergrowth at top speed. It wouldn't be long before he was in range again, and Todd knew he had to get out of there before the needles reached him. The look on Bane's face left him in no doubt that murder was the objective here.

Looking around desperately for Kurt, he jumped to the next tree, just as Bane was close enough to shoot more needles. Reaching the edge of the woods, he was running out of trees and out of options. Bane was fast enough and apparently had the stamina to keep up with Todd over quite a distance, so Todd kept flinging himself through the smaller trees at the edge of the forest. Open ground would certainly not be Todd's first choice of escape.

A strange noise reached his ears as he flung himself to another tree, close to where they had sat down earlier to eat. Turning his head, he only just managed to change course in mid-air, narrowly avoiding a large, grey mass hurtling towards him. Todd's stomach churned with fear. Had the other mutant overpowered Kurt somehow? Was he hurt?

His fears were groundless however, as became evident when the gargoyle-like mutant crashed into the trunk of the tree with a nasty crunching sound, while Todd clung to a branch much closer to the ground than the one he had been aiming for. Glancing behind him, Todd realized that Bane was suddenly much too close. Up... up... up! The rough bark scraped the skin off his fingers and toes as he scrambled upwards to try and outdistance Bane again. He more sensed than actually saw the needles whizzing right past him, and he desperately hoped that Bane was either too angry or too winded to aim accurately.

Bane's sudden roar of frustration reached his ears and he couldn't help but turn around to see what had made him so livid. Clutching the tree, Todd's eyes widened in wonder as Kurt gave a magnificent display of some of his many skills. Wow... he had come a long way from the gangly teenager, only just learning what he could do.

Bane was whirling around frantically shooting needles in every direction, but none of them hit the mark. Kurt was teleporting around him so fast he looked half hidden in the small puffs of sulfur accumulating. Every now and then, Kurt would appear behind Bane and kick or punch him. Not incapacitating him, but definitely hurting him. After a particularly painful kick to his gut, Bane seemed to decide the time was ripe for a hasty retreat.

Emitting an ear splitting whistle, he hurriedly rolled away from Kurt and broke into a heavy run towards the wall around the mansion grounds. A grey blur was suddenly speeding towards Kurt, arms reaching for him as he was distracted by his close pursuit of Bane through the undergrowth. Todd saw it and yelled out a warning, just as the flying mass caught up with Kurt.

“Fuzzy! Behind you!”

Kurt was distracted for just a second, but it was enough for the gargoyle to zoom ahead of him, grab Bane around the middle and fly off with a speed that was completely unreal for something that looked like it was made of stone. Todd jumped from the tree and landed heavily next to Kurt in the soft bed of autumn leaves on the forest floor. They both stood for the longest while, chests heaving, simply watching the spot in the sky where that small spec that was their attackers had vanished.

The happiness of the morning had evaporated just as fast as their attackers and they slowly made their way back to the marble bench, where the morning had started out so comfortably. Todd put on his shoes while Kurt gathered up the rest of the food. They didn't talk as they headed back to the mansion. It was like the whole morning had been a soap bubble of bliss and it only took one of Bane's tiny needles to pop it and jerk them both back to reality. Todd felt like the happiness had never even been there. Like it was a nice daydream used to make boring time pass faster. Like he had done all through school.

But just when he felt he could hardly get anymore depressed, he suddenly felt a warm, furry hand wrap around his own. Frankly he was shocked at the emotion such a simple gesture could evoke in him. Such a small thing that meant so much. So soothing and supportive. So loving and accepting. It was like a sliver of the happiness came back with that hand and Todd soaked it up desperately. He couldn't even look at Kurt from the intensity of it all, but he returned the loving squeeze forcefully. Kurt made no comment but simply held on tight.

Their hands stayed joined all the way through the mansion and into Xavier's office where they went first of all to relate the events to the Professor. He was very surprised that he hadn't felt anything happen and was very glad to see them both alive. Todd kept his mouth shut and simply held Kurt's hand tight while he explained the situation and debated with Xavier about their defence systems. The Professor didn't comment on their holding hands, nor did he even seem to notice.

However, when they rose to leave, Kurt locked eyes with Xavier for a long moment and Todd got the distinct feeling that some kind of conversation was going on. He didn't mind though. He just felt so tired suddenly. So drained. But then again he had had a rough week. Maybe it would be good to get some sleep before he left the following day. Kurt seemed happy enough to follow Todd to his room and simply nodded when Todd said:

“I think I'll go lie down for a bit.”

He was out of his clothes and halfway under the covers before he realized that Kurt was also undressing and he froze with surprise as his furry lover slipped in beside him without further ado. He felt the warm body press up against his back and a strong arm snake around his waist. It wasn't even remotely sexual. Just pleasant. Relaxing. Comforting. And most of all it was completely alien to Todd.

Somehow he had never thought further than sex with a potential partner. It was like sex was the closest you could get and then that was that. He never even once considered that there might be things that felt even more close. More intimate. Hell, they weren't even naked and yet he had never felt so vulnerable in his entire life. Suddenly he was reminded of Mystique. So this is how she did it... he had always assumed she used sex to gather information from people with her shapeshifting, but for the first time it occurred to him that closeness like this was probably a lot more powerful than simple lust.

Kurt didn't sleep, but simply held Todd as the afternoon passed by and finally after what felt like hours, Todd drifted off to sleep, snuggled in closely with his lover.

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Chapter 14.

He was whirling, fast and nauseating through that thick fog again. That murky mess of memories that Xavier had thrown him into when he had read his mind. Here and there Todd caught glimpses of familiar faces. Places he had been. Things he had seen. And then suddenly he was fifteen years old, small and skinny. Filthy and out in the dark streets several hours after most parents had sent their well cared for children to their beds.

The fog was thick in the dark alley, making the air chilly against his amphibian skin. Todd shivered as he lurked behind a dumpster, keeping a furtive eye on his quarry. The long, black coat whipped around a corner and Todd counted to three slowly, before allowing himself to dart to the corner and peek around it. Wanda was walking purposefully towards her destination, without even turning her head. Todd grinned at his luck. Usually he would have been blasted through a wall by now.

The smell of rust and mold intensified as she easily melted a hole in the meshed fence of an area of storage buildings. The warehouses were clear indicators of the wealth and importance of their owners. Some where extremely high tech with cameras and alarms on every surface, while others were so derelict they would probably collaps soon if they didn't see some serious repairs. Wanda was walking steadily towards one that had chunks of roof missing and looked empty.

As soon as she was through the door, Todd darted towards the warehouse, keeping low and avoiding the door. He jumped to a tiny window high above the ground and peeked through the grimy glass just in time to see Wanda step through a door to a small room at the most intact part of the building. Todd managed to silently wrench open the window and worm himself through. Only someone as thin as he was could hope to fit through such a small gap, so for once he congratulated himself on not having regular access to food.

The building was quiet and there was no light visible apart from the moon filtering through the dirty windows and skylights. He carefully positioned himself on the narrow ledge and jumped to a pipe in the ceiling closer to the door Wanda went through. The pipe squeaked pitifully at the added weight of the skinny mutant and Todd froze in the hope of silencing the noise before he was discovered. He hung limply from the ceiling, listening intently for any indication that he had been busted. After a few minutes he decided he was ok and very gently dropped to the floor. The building seemed so derelict that he decided that he'd better stick to ground level.

Dodging from a piece of roof in the middle of the room to an upturned table closer to the door, he finally made it to the room at the end. Now that he was close, he could see a tiny sliver of light under the door and as he crept closer, he could just hear hushed conversation. Before he managed to overhear anything however, the door slammed open, smashing into Todd lurking behind it and Wanda stalked by without a second glance. Rubbing his bleeding nose while the door creaked shut until it was slightly ajar, he was about to follow her again when a voice suddenly drifted through the crack in the door.

“Is it permanent now?”

The voice chilled Todd to the bone. Magneto! What was Wanda doing meeting her father in the middle of the night? He did know that she had forgotten all about her hatred for him, but it still seemed odd. Did Pietro know about this? Todd doubted it.

“I can't honestly say. There is a problem.”

“Oh?”

There were sounds of soft footfalls and a crackling of metal stretching.

“I did my best! But her mind... her mind is fragile. And it's so tightly linked to her powers that if I tamper more with her memories, she might lose control. All control.”

Magneto's voice chilled if possible even more.

“So... she could die?”

“And more than likely take half the planet with her. She is incredibly powerful.”

Todd felt like he was going to throw up. Wanda could die? That bastard was still fucking around with her mind and now it was endangering her life! Todd was about to sneak off and find Wanda when Magneto's next words stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Then I might actually have use for her yet...”

The horror of the other man's voice was as evident as Todd's own, rushing though his gut.

“You don't mean..?”

“Yes. If she cannot be controlled, then she can at least do her part in the war.”

Again the sound of footsteps, this time coming towards the door. Todd flattened himself against the wall as the weight of a hand made the doorknob wiggle from the inside.

“I won't be a part of it. I refuse to take a life.”

Again the churning of metal bending to Magneto's will seeped through the door.

“You will, if you wish to live. I can find other telepats for the job. If you refuse, you will not leave this room alive.”

The hand on the rusty doorknob lifted with a last wiggle and a defeated sigh was clearly heard though the door still ajar.

“Very well. If I must.”

The chilling voice sounded disgustingly smug.

“Then we are agreed. When the time is right, you will give her the last push. I will see it to it myself that she is placed where she can have the biggest... impact.”

Todd felt like there was no air left in his lungs and he dug his nails so hard into the concrete wall that they chipped and splintered, despite being bitten down to painful shortness already. He couldn't believe it. Even his own dismal experience with parents hadn't quite killed his general trust in the bonds of blood. That someone could simply smile and nod at the information that his actions would kill his daughter, and then even use it to force his own issues was unfathomable to Todd. That anyone – even Magneto – would be willing to send his own child to her death just to win his stupid war... it was unreal.

And then it hit him. Nobody else knew this. Nobody. Not lance, not Pietro. Not even Wanda herself. Only one person knew and was in any position to do something about it. Todd. The Toad. The smallest, weakest, most cowardly little rat of a mutant ever unfortunate enough to stumble into the Brotherhood house. He couldn't do anything alone. He had never felt the truth of people's negative opinions about him as clearly as that moment. He had never felt more powerless in his whole life.

He had to tell someone. But who? Pietro was a definite no-no. As long as dear old dad put him in charge, he wasn't gonna do anything for anybody. Wanda was more or less coo-coo, so no good trying to tell her either. Freddy wouldn't know what to do. He was if possible even more clueless than Todd. Lance maybe? He had been relatively kind to Todd in the past, but when it came down to it, would he go against Magneto just to save Pietro's bitchy sister? Somehow he didn't think so.

Hearing no more conversation behind the door, he suddenly realized that there was a good chance that he would be busted if the men exited the room. As fast and silently as he could, he made it to the main door, which Wanda had luckily left ajar. He slipped through the gap, just as the door at the end was flung open and light poured out into the dark space.

Todd jumped for his life and didn't stop until he was several blocks away, and finally allowed himself to stop and check if he was being followed. Minutes passed with no sign of pursuers and he finally breathed a sigh of relief and made his way back to the Brotherhood House, to figure out what the hell he was going to do.

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