Author's Note: Yes, my ruthless muse visited me today in Mathematics. Don't like them. They're evil. Stupid numbers. Think they're so SMART! Well, they're NOT! ...Anyway. I came up with this during the lecture. Enjoy!

Chapter One

Toad leaned over the computer screen, large, bulbous eyes scanning the page relentlessly. He hadn’t slept in days- nearly a week.

Mystique watched him pouring over the screen worriedly. She didn’t know what had spurred this sudden desire to uncover his past. These demons had haunted him for all of his twenty, short years, why act on them now?

…why search for his parents?

“Rae?” he asked, his head turning unnervingly quickly.

“Yeah, Mort. It’s me.”

“Wha’ d’ya need? Is the jet actin’ up again?”

“No, no, everything’s fine, I just…” his hand had already moved back to the mouse. “…worry.”

“I’m fine,” he said with a dismissal shrug. The youngest Brotherhood member hadn’t been the same since Liberty Island. He was somber and quiet, very jumpy, his movements were always deliberate and concentrated. He no longer joked with Sabretooth or watched cheesy eighties movies with Mystique on Saturday nights. He just combed the internet relentlessly, calling all of his contacts unflinchingly for information on the two people who had left him for dead as an infant.

Even Wanda was growing worried about him. He no longer grew quiet when she entered a room, or flirted with her politely. In fact, he barely acknowledged anyone’s presence at all. He was obsessed.

“Mortimer…”

“Rae, I’m close. Real close. Jus’ give me a few more hours,”

“That’s what you said yesterday.” She grumbled crossly.

“Rae,” he pleaded with her, eyes pained. “I gotta do this,”

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” she crossed her arms, sounding stern.

“Always am.”

It has taken almost two months of hard searching, even with Magneto’s contacts, to find any trace of his parents. Mary Alice and Rupert Toynbee lived in York, England until 1986. The year after he was born. They then moved to Bath, and finally, a small farmhouse on the outskirts of London.

Mort trotted down to Erik’ office, the floor lurching slightly under his feet. Magneto was skritching away on a set of blueprints, looking up sharply as Toad entered.

“Yes Mortimer, what is it?”

“I need a few weeks off, sir,” he said, straight backed, at attention. Magneto barely thought a moment before granting his request. Toad was his most loyal and fiercely devoted follower, he knew that he wouldn’t attempt to leave the Brotherhood. After he had given his assent, Mort seemed to relax considerably.

“Thanks, Erik.” He said in a sigh of relief.

“Not a problem, my boy. But, can I bother you to use the helicopter? Raven and Victor will need the jet later this week. Mortimer chuckled. As if his boss had to ask permission…still, he liked it.
“Just fill ‘er up when you’re done, mate,”

“Surely,” and they went their separate ways.

As he started up the helicopter, he started, for the first time, thinking about what he would do when he got there.

Would he kill them? Torture them? Talk? Leave a note? Watch them as they went about their day…sabatoge their doings? He really wanted to know why they had left him. Well, of course, he thought he knew why. Anyone else who saw him could see why…but why hadn’t they killed him as a baby instead of leaving him for years of beating and torment and…

He shook his head. No thinking about that now, Toad. He gripped the joystick of the helicopter, grinding his teeth. He would pleasantly ask them why…and then he would kill them.