The Worst Shade of Green

Morna sat in the kitchen, the sun was just rising up over the horizon, as she tapped her fingers upon the counter. She had heard her daughter screaming the night before, making her even more furious with her new master. She crossed her legs slowly and stared around waiting for him to appear.

Toad walked into the small kitchen and moved to the fridge. He was looking at a piece of paper in his hand and didn't notice Morna.

"You have some nerve." She said in a cold voice, staring at his back as he leaned into the fridge.

Toad paused and looked back at her. "Excuse me?" He asked confused.

"Forcing yourself on her after she's just lost a child. You're disgusting." She narrowed her eyes, still staring at him.

Toad was taken aback by this. "I didn't." He said simply and turned back to the fridge to find something to eat.

"Oh so all that screaming I heard last night, not to mention the blood on the hallway floor was all in good fun!?" She yelled and stood up from her chair.

"I didn't force myself on her. And I didn't intentionally hurt her." Toad said pulling out a container of chocolate milk. He opened it and cringed. Pouring the rest of it into the sink he rinsed it out and threw the container into a near by recycling box.

"Bullshit." She counter, slapping him across the face. "You keep your slimy hands off my daughter or I will kill you."

"Yeah?" He asked slightly amused. "Lets see how far you get with that plan." He said. "Oh and by the way... She came onto me." He said before walking past her and out the room.

"Typical Mutant, always lying through your teeth." She hissed.

Toad paused just outside the door. "Yeah... why don't you go talk to your daughter before you start making false accusations."

"I don't have to." She rested her hand onto her hip, still glaring at him. "Run along and play with your toys freak."

Toad came back into the room and advanced on her making her back against the counter.

"You... are really pushing you're luck woman." He said. "Don't push me."

"Or what? Your going to spank me?"

Toad grabbed onto her throat. "Don't.... test me." He said angrily. He choked her for a few seconds. He paused and blinked a moment before letting her go, his facial expression changing. He looked at her a moment before turning and making his way quickly into the basement.

She coughed and pressed her hand to her throat, while still leaning on the counter she glared at him. "Monster..." She mumbled.

Toad moved into the work room and paused. He ran both his hands through his hair. He gripped his hair, pulling on it and crouched down on the floor. "What is happening to me?!" Toad asked no one.

Callie opened the door of her room and stepped out into the hallway. The floor was cold so she walked on her tippy toes. Moving down the hallways she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary as she moved into the kitchen to make breakfast.

Morna sat in the kitchen table ignoring her daughter as she moved to the fridge.

She glanced as her as she pulled the contents she needed from the fridge and set them by the stove. "Good morning."

"Hi." Her voice was very hoarse and she didn't meet Callie's eyes. She now wore a light scarf around her neck, which to Callie was odd.

"What happened?" Callie asked.

"What do you think?" Morna replied.

Callie blinked and moved over, pulling the scarf from her neck, gasping when she saw the rest hand mark. "Did he do this?"

"Of course."

There was a loud crash from downstairs followed by a loud scream.

Callie jumped then ran from the kitchen and down into the basement. "Mort!?" She called in a worried voice as she came around the corner into his workshop.

Toad threw a chair across the room destroying three of his computer monitors in the process. He picked up anther one and threw that too before kicking over his computer desk.

She put her hand to her mouth, staring wide eyed at him.

He picked up a large wrench and started hitting the machine he had been working on. The parts hadn't worked. He hit the machine over and over as hard as he could until his hands bled from the force of the metal in his hands connecting with a solid object, and tears streamed down his face.

He eventually slowed and fell the the ground the wrench making a loud clank on the floor.

She moved over slowly and knelt down next to him, wrapping her arms around him slowly.

He jumped forward slightly and knocked her away from him. "Get away from me!" He yelled.

She fell back, crawling away form him a few feet. "...w-what's wrong?"

She looked at his hands that where tangled in his hair as he crouched on the floor. His hands. They where... more webbed than usual. She frowned and moved slightly closer to him.

"Mort?" She asked.

"Don't call me that!" He yelled as he picked up the wrench and threw it at her. She ducked and it hit the television screen behind her shattering it.

He screamed again and began hitting himself in the head going back into his crouched position. He stopped a moment and looked around frantically trying to find something. Anything.

"Stop it!" She cried, grabbing him firmly. "Stop!"

Morna came down the stairs just as Toad flung her back away from him again. "I said stay away from me!" He yelled again.

He stayed crouched on the ground his hands covering his head his breathing was erratic and he was mumbling something to himself.

"C'mon." Morna pulled Callie up and pulled her back up the stairs. "Stay away from him, he's dangerous."

"He's not he just needs help!"

"Don't argue with me!" Morna said.

"Mother!" Callie said angrily and knocked her hand away from her arm. "You remember when you told me, that sometimes people create false images to protect them selves. This is what he's been protecting himself from!" She said. "I have to help him!"

"You can't help him!!" Morna cried, grabbing her again.

"I have to try!!" Callie countered.

Morna sighed. She put her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. "When I was in the states I met a few mutants. They call themselves the X-Men." She told her. "Call them, they will help." She handed the paper to Callie. "But do not go back down there!"

She took the paper tenderly and stared at it. "O-ok..." She moved away from her then and picked up the phone, dialing the number quickly.

"Hello?" Came a deep male voice from the other end of the phone.

"Um...h-hello..." Callie held the phone tightly and looked around worried. "Is this...um.. the X-men?"

She could hear a small sigh on the other end. "It was." He confirmed.

"Oh..." She said sadly and looked down to her feet. "I see..."

She heard another sigh. "What's the matter kid?"

"I-It's my master...he's..." She trailed off. "He needs help badly."

"Your.... Master?" He asked confused. "You're a human kid? And you... want... to help your master?" He asked.

"...yes..." She replied sounding confused.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone before he sighed once again. "Where are you kid, we'll come get you."

"...England...York I think..." She replied as she continued to stare around confused.

She heard a small curse and him clearing his throat. "Will you be okay for a few hours kid?" He asked.

"...I think so..." She replied, jolting where she stood when she heard another crash from down stairs. "Please hurry." She said before hanging up the phone.