Ronin Toad: Redux

[Zack]

Nice dialogs, man.

 

[Jade]

Nice dialogs, man.

I like the dialog so far,Zack but no Carmen Sandiego...heck it's his story it's none of my business.

 

[Nace Bilby]

E-Mails and Explaining Moreauseau​

Disclaimer: Same as before.

---

Agent Todd,

I will look into the Moreauseau Island request for information you submitted, but I can guarantee that it is going to generate a lot more questions, namely why you need to know about it. Your assignment is to report on the mutant and his time at the Pit.

On these reports of yours, however, I would like some verification. Are you saying that a former COBRA chef at the Pit was able to create 'a gingerbread scorpion the size of a medium sized dog' and that Tolansky drove a tank?

Agent Baer

---

The Pit, Officer's Quarters
Conrad Hart and Kate Todd
15 February 2002, 0622

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition..." Conrad sang to himself as he turned the bathroom doorknob and pushed the door open only to be greeted by the sight of Kate's naked backside.

Kate spun round as she heard the door open and felt the cooler air from the hallway rush into the hot and humid bathroom. She clutched the small white towel to her chest and yelped, "Conrad!"

"Gah! Sorry about that. I didn't know you were in there." Conrad replied, "Maybe you should've locked the door."

"Maybe you should've knocked." Kate countered.

"Sorry about that, again." Conrad replied as he backpedaled out of the bathroom.

Kate checked the towel again, ensuring it was wrapped snugly around her chest before walking up to Conrad, until she stood nearly nose to nose with the ex-Legionnaire, "Knock. On. The. Door. Next. Time."

"Fair enough." Conrad replied, and beat a hasty retreat before Kate closed the bathroom door.

Alright, that had been an awkward moment. Kate wondered to herself why she hadn't thought to lock the bathroom door. After all she had a roommate, a male one, and it seemed to be the most sensible thing to do.

After she had dried off and gotten dressed and Conrad had done the same she sat on the couch making notes on her PDA.

"Good morning." Conrad said as he stepped out of his room, dressed for the day, "So would you want to break into our food stores or chance the Mess Hall again?"

"Hmm, maybe taking a chance on the Mess Hall." Kate said, "I didn't hear anything explode this morning."

"Well maybe Quick Kick and Short Fuse are done filming." Conrad replied.

"Haha. Or they took my suggestion about filming far far away." Kate countered as she stood up, tucking her PDA away.

"Excuse me?" Conrad said.

"You didn't hear me just say that maybe Quick Kick and Short Fuse decided to film far far away?" Kate asked.

"My hearing comes and goes on my left side, owing to a COBRA grenade exploding next to my head." Conrad replied.

"Oh," Kate replied, and asked gently, "Was just now one of those times?"

Conrad nodded.

“I’m sorry.” Kate replied softly.

“You didn’t throw the grenade, mademoiselle.” Conrad replied, “So you’ve nothing to be sorry about.”

As they walked towards the stairs Kate asked, “About Moreauseau Island, what can you tell me about that mission?”

“I wasn’t on that mission, remember.” Conrad replied.

“I know you’re unit found the information that led to G.I. Joe discovering that COBRA lab.” Kate replied, “What was it you uncovered?”

Conrad replied, “My team had been working with the local militia, training them to fight the COBRA backed militia that was terrorizing their population. We were one of many French military teams sent to train local defense forces.”

Kate saw a faint smile on Conrad’s face, “Be it the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, or the Central African Republic, the locals prefered advisory teams from the Foreign Legion over any other French military unit.”

Kate could hear the slight note of pride in Conrad’s voice as he spoke, almost not hearing him say, “My teammates and I had been training the local forces in the Central African Republic to better counter the COBRA backed militias terrorizing the population. Over the course of three months we’d gotten them to go on the offensive, driving COBRA backed militias territory they controlled.”

“It was our job to turn one hundred and twelve locals, farmers, fishermen, miners and the lot who had taken up what arms they could to protect their homes and turn them into soldiers.” Conrad replied, “And we did so.”

After a moment Conrad said, “I’m sorry, I’m rambling, but around three months into our mission a couple Americans turned up. And by that I meant Americans that weren’t part of the French Foreign Legion.”

“We executed a raid on an abandoned mining camp.” Conrad continued, “The sights I saw there will haunt me till I breathe my last, whenever God wills that to be. It had been used as a prison, like our intelligence indicated and the prisoners were being used for laborers, at least the strong ones were.”

“What happened to the others?” Kate asked, inwardly dreading Conrad’s answer.

“The worst was finding the infirmary, what had been converted into an impromptu laboratory.” Conrad said, “It was an abattoir with pretensions of being a laboratory. The prize, if you could call it that, was the hard drive of a computer the COBRA types hadn’t had the opportunity to destroy. It led to Moreauseau’s discovery. That’s all I can tell you.”

---

 

[Nace Bilby]

The Pit, Mess Hall
BA, Big Lob, Tunnel Rat, Cross Country, Toad
15 February 2002, 0630

CRASH! The dish fell out of Todd’s hand and onto the floor of the kitchen, shattering into fragments.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Todd began.

“It’s ok. These things happen.” BA said, “I’ve had my share of these things break on KP...that’s why I always buy them in bulk.”

“Because people break them?” Todd asked.

“That and one of my hobbies.” BA said, “Juggling dishes…”

BA started to juggle a teacup as he spoke and then said, “Toss me another one.”

“You’re in for a treat, kiddo, BA is pretty good.” Big Lob said, and lobbed a second teacup to BA who caught it and began juggling it as well.

“Come on guys, is that all you got?” BA said.

Tunnel Rat lobbed two teacups to BA who caught them both and in fact had the four teacups in a rotation of juggling.

“Go ahead, kid,” Cross Country laughed as he tossed BA another teacup, “Throw him something.”

BA now had five teacups rotating through the air with his rapid juggling. Todd tossed a sixth cup and now BA was juggling half a dozen cups, “A new record....”

---

The Pit, Mess Hall
Conrad Hart and Kate Todd
15 February 2002, 0633

“Alright, so this evening we’re talking to Todd.” Conrad said, “And I gather you’re wanting to spend today trying to find out what you can about Moreauseau Island? For the record, you’re obsessed.”

“It’s my job to know of any threats to the President. And if whatever kind of Frankenstein’s monster was created on Moreauseau somehow got loose then I want to know about it.” Kate replied.

“Somehow I doubt that. If the test subjects on Moreauseau were anywhere as bad as the ones I found in Hell’s Antechamber I doubt the Moreauseau lot were any threat.” Conrad countered.

“I can’t take that chance, Conrad.” Kate replied, "I am responsible for the safety of the President of the United States, I have to do my due diligence to uncover any threat."

Conrad was about to reply when both of them heard a crash of china shattering from the kitchen. “Well, perhaps you were a tad hasty in figuring that nothing bizarre was going on with breakfast.”

“Dishes breaking don’t exactly indicate a kitchen disaster.” Kate replied.

“Breakfast at the Pit, as yesterday proved, is an interesting affair." Conrad observed.

"Well nothing has exploded or caught fire yet." Kate replied.

“Key word being yet.” Conrad countered.

“Now who’s being paranoid?” Kate said, with a small smile, “Yesterday you were convincing me to eat lunch here.”

“Well, a bit of gut instinct is telling me something is in the offing today.” Conrad replied as they carried their respective trays to the nearest table, where some other G.I. Joe soldiers were eating.

“Pretty interesting that Roadblock wants to have our interview with Toad over dinner at their place.” Kate observed.

“Well, it’s rather similar to a ‘defender’s advantage’ when it comes to military tactics.” Conrad supplied.

“I figured that out.” Kate replied.

“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.” Conrad commented as he gestured with a sideways glance.

Moving amongst the tables was Todd, whom BA had sent to go bus tables.

“Some devil.” Kate replied, with a smile.

“Meant that figuratively of course.” Conrad countered as he took another sip of coffee from the cup.

Toad was carrying empty breakfast trays and the like to be washed as various Joes finished their meals. Things were going smoothly until he collided with a soldier, spilling food all over him. The man wore a green balaclava, green sweater, camouflage pants and black boots. Kate and Conrad knew the man was codenamed Beach Head, and knew of his reputation for being a stickler and the most ornery individual at the Pit.

“Why you little….” Beach Head began.

“I’m sorry…” Toad stammered.

“Not as sorry as when I get through with you! You stupid little freak!” Beach Head said, raising his fists menacingly.

At this Todd bolted out the front door of the Mess Hall, before reverting to hopping mode. He didn’t see Beach Head being restrained by several Joes as well as by Conrad and Kate.

Suddenly a hand whipped out from around a corner, dragging him into a darkened room, a hand clamped over Todd’s mouth.

“Quiet!” the figure commanded, “Stay still!”

Todd nodded and the dark figure let go of him, stepping outside of the room and then closing the door behind him.

Todd listened as the man said, “He went that way Beach Head…”

The sound of the heavy footsteps of Beach Head faded off into the distance and the door opened. Todd saw his rescuer for the first time, he was a blonde haired man, wearing dark clothes and red goggles, reminiscent of Cyclops.

“Better lie low somewhere until Roadblock comes to get you.” the man said.

“Thanks…” Todd said.

“Let’s get you out of here.” the man replied.

Toad, wordlessly, compiled, following the man outside, where they walked a ways before finding themselves at a basketball court. To his surprise he could see Tunnel Rat and Big Lob and a few other Joes out there.

“Found him, I see.” Tunnel Rat said, “Thanks for covering, Low Light.”

“No problem.” Low Light said, before turning to address Toad, “Now you stay here until Roadblock arrives.”

Todd nodded and Low Light walked away.

“How did you guys manage to get away so fast?” Todd asked.

“We have our methods of cutting down on KP duty,” Big Lob said, spinning a basketball on his finger, “Wanna play?”

“I dunno I’ve never played before.” Todd began, and then said, brightening, “Ok...I’ll play.”

After getting the ball and past some difficulty dribbling, he got the hang of it. After receiving the ball again he jumped up high and made a slam dunk...from the middle of the court.

Amazement covered the faces of the bystanders.

“Oh my Lord.” Tunnel Rat remarked.

“Michael Jordan got some serious competition.” Big Lob added.

“I did it!” Toad crowed, dancing about, and leaping skyward occasionally as he did so, “I did it! I...uh oh…”

He saw Roadblock heading his way as he spoke, and then he hopped towards him, “Roadblock, I didn’t mean to leave the cafeteria! I was good! I was! It’s just that…”

“I know, it was just an accident.” Roadblock replied, “I had a talk with Beach Head, who was clearly out of line. He won’t be bothering you anymore.”

With a nod, Todd acknowledged Roadblock’s words, as the latter spoke proudly, “You know, BA said you were a good worker. One of the best he’s had in a long time.”

“He did?” Todd said, with disbelief.

“Uh huh. Now go back to your game.” Roadblock said.

“I can?” Todd replied, eyes lighting up, “Thanks.”

“Go on.” Roadblock said, gently. And then watching Todd hopping back to his game. After a while it was fairly obvious that Todd’s team won, given all the baskets the young mutant had made.

“Aw man, he’s on our team next time.” Big Lob grumbled.

After a bit more banter, it was finally time for Todd to head over for his science class, then working KP for the noon meal, and then helping Roadblock get dinner started for the company they were going to have that evening…

---

 

[Nace Bilby]

Agent Todd,

I made a few inquiries regarding Moreauseau Island. Those files are sealed, and it was deemed that you do not need to know about what happened there for your mission. So cease and desist any more inquiries into Moreauseau Island. Understood?

Agent Baer

---

The Pit, Officer’s Quarter’s
Roadblock and Toad
15 February 2002, 1633

As Roadblock was mixing ingredients for a recipe Todd was working on some science homework from Airtight.

“Roadblock,” Todd asked as he took a short break from the assignment, “What’s Moreauseau?”

Roadblock nearly dropped the ladle he had been using to stir some sauce, “Where did you hear that?”

“Some of the guys mentioned the name when I was on KP duty yesterday…But they wouldn’t talk about it.” Toad replied.

“With good reason.” Roadblock said, “It was a bad place...I honestly couldn’t imagine Hell being that much worse.”

“Wh-what is it?” Todd asked, putting his pencil down, his homework forgotten.

With a sigh, Roadblock walked over to Todd, putting a large hand on the boy’s shoulder, “You might as well know the truth. A few years ago, the Joes were sent on a mission, the majority of us and what we found…”

Roadblock paused for a moment, composing himself, “There was a lab there. Nearly one hundred test subjects. Many of them had been mangled, mutilated…”

“They were mutants?” Todd asked, in horror.

“If they weren’t before, they became mutants as a result of COBRA’s experiments.” Roadblock replied.

“What happened to them?” Todd asked.

“Most of them didn’t survive, and those that did...they didn’t live that much longer. From that day many of us swore that we wouldn’t allow that kid of evil to happen again, ever.” Roadblock said.

Todd gulped, “So that’s why you saved me.”

Roadblock nodded before saying, “Well, you’d better get back to your homework and I’ll finish getting dinner ready. Our guests should be here soon.”

“Ok.” Todd replied.

Roadblock continued to do some more work in the kitchen and before long he was done. Todd put away his homework and started to put out the dishes, silverware, and the like. He had just put down the placemat in the center of the table for Roadblock to put the main dish down when the sound of a knock on the door could be heard.

Todd hopped over to the door and opened the door to find Conrad and Kate standing at the door. “Hi,” Todd said, “Come in...Roadblock’s in the kitchen.”

“Actually you two are just in time.” Roadblock said, “Dinner’s ready.”

“Oh, what’s on the menu?” Conrad asked.

“Roadblock’s Rissotto.” Roadblock replied.

At Kate’s uneasy expression Roadblock added, “Don’t worry, everyone says that they’d be happier if I had BA’s job.”

Well, anyone would be an improvement over BA. Kate thought to herself, but not wanting to insult their host.

Todd piped in just then, preventing a potentially awkward silence, “Roadblock’s a gourmet chef as well.”

Kate added, “Dinner smells good.”

The four of them were sitting at the table, and the meal went swimmingly well, even with Toad using his frog-like tongue to grab at a pitcher of water, prompting a slight glare from Roadblock.

“Sorry.” Toad said.

“It’s ok, I’ve seen worse eaters when I was in the Legion.” Conrad replied.

“Legionnaires have twelve foot long tongues?” Kate asked.

“No, but I’ve seen folks that don’t have the cleanest eating habits.” Conrad countered.

It was shortly after eating that Conrad began, “I suppose Roadblock told you why we’re here.”

“He did.” Toad replied.

“Can you tell us about what happened?” Kate replied.

“We had lost yet another battle with the X-Geeks…” Todd began, “I-I mean the X-men. And Mystique just lost it...She just kept hitting me and hitting me. I’ve had beatings before, but this was a lot worse.”

The kid closed his eyes, seeming on the verge of tears, Roadblock instinctively slid his chair beside Todd, taking the boy’s hand.

“Todd,” Roadblock said, gently, “You don’t have to tell them any more if you don’t…”

“No,” Todd said, “No, I want to tell them…”

“I’ll stay right here with you, son.” Roadblock said.

Todd nodded and continued the story, “All I could do was just cringe and plea, but the blows just kept coming. Mystique just kept hitting me.”

Kate glanced over at Conrad, whose face took on a stony expression. She could only imagine what he was thinking.

I’ll put a knife in this Mystique’s gut if I ever encounter her. No child should ever endure this kind of abuse. Conrad thought.

“And then Magneto put a stop to it.” Todd replied, “We were flying in a jet, I didn’t know where we were, and then Mystique kicked me in the stomach again. And then…”

Todd let out a choked sob, “A-and then...he threw me out of the jet…”

The boy’s tears caused both Kate and Conrad to mutually conclude to stop the interview.

“I’m sorry about all this.” Conrad apologized, as Roadblock held the sobbing boy in his arms.

“It’s alright.” Roadblock said, “You’re just doing your jobs.”

“We’ll see ourselves out.” Kate replied.

Conrad and Kate walked out of the apartment and back towards the apartment they were sharing.

“You seem to be taking this pretty hard.” Kate observed.

“And you aren’t?” Conrad replied.

“That was horrible what Mystique did to the kid, but still you looked like you would personally kill her if you encountered her.” Kate replied.

“Honestly, I’d put a knife into her stomach if we were to cross paths.” Conrad replied.

“And why are you taking this so hard?” Kate asked as Conrad opened the door to their temporary lodging, with a slight ‘after you’ gesture with his free hand.

“As I’ve said, children suffer the worst in any war.” Conrad replied, “I saw enough suffering with children I saw in my tours of duty with the Legion.”

---

To Be Continued…

 

[Ororo Munroe]

Agent @Nace Bilby. I just read this latest chapter of your story...and I must say, I am shocked and saddened. I have fought with Todd Tolansky on a few occasions...and although we have always been on opposite sides (of course) I cannot imagine anyone treating him so cruelly. I have fought against Mystique also. I do not know very much about her...and nor do I wish to. The idea that Magneto would stop Mystique from beating Toad, only to throw him from the jet is...unconscionable...he (Toad) could have been killed!! Please know that if any of the X-Men had been present, we would have gladly come to the aid of the young Mr. Tolansky under the circumstances.

It is very distressing that Magneto is the leader of the Brotherhood...when, clearly...what he wants is not "brotherhood" at all...but revenge...for all the injustices that he...and others...have suffered. But revenge is not is not the way. Only the philosophy of Professor Xavier and the X-Men will lead to acceptance...and peace. After all...mutant or non-mutant, we are all human beings.

That is part of what I like when I look at this site...and learn about the history of Carmen Sandiego and the ACME Detective Agency and VILE. You are are all clearly opponents...on opposite sides of the law...but you are not enemies. You don't hate each other...you like each other. And sometimes...you even help each other. It is good to see.

I look forward to the next chapter in your story.

 

[Julie Justice]

I agree. Very well said, Storm. I look forward to the next chapter, too, Nace.

 

[Nace Bilby]

Terrors of Night​

Disclaimer: Same as before.

Author's Note: Many thanks to Red Witch for creating the Ronin Toad series of fanfiction that inspired myself and other authors on fanfiction.net. May her muse remain ever blessed.

Somnia is the Roman god of dreams, called Morpheus by the Greeks.

Warning: Darkness ahead.

---

The Pit, Officer’s Quarters
Todd Tolanksy
16 February 2002, 0032

Sleep for Todd Tolansky would be anything but peaceful. Memories coming in the night. Of beatings of the past. It didn't matter who was inflicting them. It could be his father, bullies and jocks that tormented him through school, Magneto, Mystique.

The physical blows, or rather memories of them came in waves. Staccato sequences of memories of abuses both long past and relatively recent.

The words were even more cruel than the beatings. A long list of tirades.

"You were the one who wanted the worthless rugrat! I didn't." The long dead and unmourned Mr. Tolansky said.

Todd's mother held the sniffling and sobbing boy protectively to her. "He needs medicine, that's more important than your booze."

A backhanded slap to the woman's face was the only response.

"Damn it, Steve!" the woman said, "We might not get along, but the least we can do is provide a better life for Todd."

"Like I said, you wanted the rugrat! Not me!"

"Steve! That's it! I...If you don't start taking care of our son...helping me take care of our son...I'll leave."

"Oh, so go ahead! You and the little brat..." Mr. Tolansky said, as a prelude to yet another beating that Todd's mother was to endure.

The cruel words of his long dead and abusive father faded away, only to be replaced with events of a far more recent vintage in Todd's mind.

"Useless...utterly useless. Mystique, what were you thinking allowing this...weakling into the Brotherhood?" Magneto's words had stopped the last of Todd's beatings.

"He was all I could find at the time." Mystique replied, "Before the others, remember. It's not my fault the idiot can't do the simplest tasks."

"In the future, Mystique," Magento warned, menacingly, "You will find me more useful mutants."

Mystique's response was punctuated with a snarl and a savage kick to Todd's midsection, "That won't be too hard. Hard to imagine any mutant as useless as this one."

The kick had resulted in Todd spitting a mixture of blood and slime involuntarily onto the floor of the jet.

"I'm sorry..." Todd begged, tears in his eyes.

Lying on his side on the floor of the jet, seeing the other three boys of the Brotherhood. Regarding them with tearful eyes. Looking from Lance, to Pietro, to Fred.

Lance looked away in contempt. "Wimp," he said simply.

Pietro's face bore a stony expression.

Fred looked scared. An expression Todd had never seen in the big mutant.

"Weak." Magneto said, "The weak are useless. Therefore..."

Todd could feel the rushing of air as a hatch on the jet was opened by Mystique. And Magneto picked Todd up by the scruff of the neck.

"No! No! Please! Really! You'll see! Please!" Todd begged as Magneto dragged him to the hatch of the jet.

"What I see is a worthless cretin who had better not show his ugly face around Bayville if he know's what's good for him!" Mystique sneered, "That is provided you manage to survive."

"No! Please! Don't leave me alone out there!" Todd begged, trying to plant his feet, but Magneto's pull was a lot stronger.

"Guys, help me!" Todd begged, looking from Lance, to Pietro, to Fred. None of the three boys had said a word. Whether it was through actual disgust at his poor performance or fear of Magneto or Mystique Todd didn't know.

"Please! I'll die out there! Please!" Todd begged as Magneto neared the hatch.

"Perhaps it is better for Mutantkind if you do." Magneto replied, before throwing the helpless teen from the aircraft...

Todd awoke, screaming a scream of fear and pain that woke not only Roadblock but their neighbors in the other apartment.

---

 

[Nace Bilby]

The Pit, Officer's Quarters
Conrad Hart
16 February 2002, 0030

Kate's last words to him before they got into the apartment echoed in Conrad's mind, "And why are you taking this so hard?"

As he allowed sleep to claim him earlier he found himself being the host of one of Somnia's visits...

The patrol, a mixed formation of three Legionnaires and fifteen of the militia that Commando Depuis had been training, approached the small farmstead on the outskirts of the war ravaged village.

As they had come to a brief halt Conrad took a sip from his water bottle before going to speak with one of the four medical missionaries that had created this mission a few months earlier to help the children affected by the war.

As the patrol leader it was his job to get information from the missionaries, any information, that would keep the COBRA backed faction out of the area. He stepped inside the small house, into one of the larger rooms that formed a sort of clinic to talk to one of the missionaries.

As a gesture of respect Conrad removed his helmet, tucking it under his arm as he entered the room, finding a woman in her early forties, with dark brown hair bundled up in a messy bun behind her head. She wore a stained white labcoat and had a stethoscope worn on her neck.

She was taking the temperature of a boy, maybe seven or eight years old, reclining on a small hospital bed. Even with the blanket Conrad noticed the ragged stump below the knee where the boy's left leg should've been.

"What happened?" Conrad asked.

The woman looked up at him, and in the woman's grey-blue eyes he saw a bit of surprise as she registered his distinctly American accented English before replying, "You're American?"

"Yes. My name is Conrad Hart, and I'm with the French Foreign Legion." Conrad replied, "That explains the French military uniform."

The woman replied, "Doctor Julia Keller."

Conrad wiped his right hand on the sleeve of his uniform before shaking hands with the woman. He noticed a fairly neutral tone to her accent, but if he had to guess she was from anywhere in the country he would have figured somewhere in New England.

"Dr. Keller, what happened to the kid?" Conrad asked again.

"He stepped on a landmine." Keller replied, sadly, "There are so many of them around here."

Conrad's trained eye told him that the boy had likely stepped on a PMN-3 anti-personnel mine. The small, disc-shaped mine was a quite popular anti-personnel mine of Soviet origin, one that was designed to amuptate the foot or leg of the unfortunate soldier who stepped on it. This would force his comrades to have to expend resources and time to get him to safety.

Before Conrad could reply Dr. Keller continued, "His older brother wasn't so lucky. They were playing in a clearing near here and he stepped on another mine. The villagers said he was practically torn in half."

Conrad's mind registered that the lad had to have triggered an OZM type mine. The OZM was designed to fly a half meter into the air before exploding into hundreds of razor edged fragments.

"I'm sorry." Conrad said, before taking a map from one of the cargo pockets on his pants, along with a pencil.

Motioning the doctor towards a near empty table nearby he asked, "Do you think you can point it out here on the map?"

"Sure." Keller replied, as the two of them looked over the map, and she indicated the field on the map.

Conrad promptly marked it with his pencil, "I'll see if I can't do some demining here."

True to his word, Conrad and members of Commando Depuis returned a fortnight later with a squad of combat engineers from a nearby French Army unit that removed 33 mines of various kinds from the field.

From that moment on the small international medical mission had built a rapid rapport with the men of Commando Depuis. This did not go unnoticed, nor unpunished, by the COBRA backed faction.

Conrad's patrol had returned a few weeks later to find everyone at the mission dead, and even more ghastly acts having been done.

"Bastards. I'll kill them." Conrad grumbled.

"Not one of us doesn't feel the same way, Hart." Sergent Ian Laposte, an Englishman with eleven years of service in the French Foreign Legion, replied.

"These people were doctors and nurses. They did nothing but provide medical treatment to anyone who would ask. Even some of the COBRA wounded that came through here." Conrad replied.

As he spoke he covered Dr. Keller's body with a tarp, after closing her open eyes. Crossing himself with his free hand he whispered, "We will make them pay for this, Doctor..."

Laposte added, "You can guarantee that."

Conrad looked over his shoulder to see Ian covering the dead body of the boy who had run afoul of the landmine some weeks earlier. He didn't have to guess that Ian was thinking of his own estranged children back in the United Kingdom.

---

"The devil take order now! I'll to the throng! Let life be short else shame will be too long!" - from William Shakespeare's Henry V.

---

Thanks to aggressive efforts and intelligence gathering Commando Depuis was able to locate the group that had masterminded the attack on the mission. The decision was made to eliminate them.

Quietly patrolling through the jungle ravine towards the abandoned farm that the COBRA backed militants occupied, six Legionnaires and twenty of the militia they trained approached the farmstead.

Conrad stepped over the dead body of one of the enemy sentries, shot dead by hidden snipers as the assault team neared the compound.

Three buildings, the house, the barn, and an outbuilding was where reconaissance had located the militants that COBRA had been training and supplying.

Moving quietly towards the main house, Ian behind him, Conrad opened the front door with a free hand, moving into the hallway and into a side room. Three bundles on the floor, where three slumbering militants lay. Conrad aimed down the sights of the FAMAS rifle at the one on the left, Ian the one on the right and both men squeezed off short bursts of gunfire into their respective bundles.

The third militant awoke with the sound of gunfire, reaching for his Kalashnikov next to his sleeping mat as bullets from both Ian and Conrad ripped into his body. All around the compound bursts of gunfire and the occasional grenade explosion could be heard as Commando Depuis wrecked their vengeance.

A few militants managed to grab weapons, awakened as they were by the sounds of shooting, trying to fight back.

Bullets flew into the tin walled room, narrowly missing Conrad, who hurled a grenade back out the window in response. Running back outside, he could see the militant he had hit with the grenade's explosion lying on his side, fingers holding his midsection and trying to hold in severely lascerated viscera. The man, no, boy, Conrad realized as he approached, was screaming bloody murder...

Conrad sat up in bed with a start. But sitting awake hadn't lessened the screaming at all. As he sat up, blinking his eyes he realized the screaming wasn't coming from his nightmare. It was coming from the neighboring apartment.

---

 

[Nace Bilby]

The Pit, Officer's Quarters
Caitlin Todd
16 February 2002, 0033

The scream was especially loud in Kate's room, given her room was the one closest to the apartment shared by Roadblock and Todd. And from the position of the scream Kate could tell her room was the one that was just through the wall from Todd's.

She headed out of her bedroom to find Conrad had clearly also been awakened. He stood at the window of the apartment, a can of beer open in one hand.

"Having a nightcap?" Kate said.

"You could say that." Conrad replied.

Kate asked, "Last night you said that children suffered the worst in war. And you also mentioned child soldiers..."

Conrad turned to face her as she spoke, "And you said that cryptic phrase about no soldier wanting a dead kid on their conscience."

"I did say that, yes." Conrad replied, "What's your point?"

Conrad could see Kate was ruminating on things and wasn't surprised when the Secret Service agent's features showed recognition.

"You killed one of them, didn't you?" Kate said, softly.

Conrad nodded and added, "So you see, that's why the kid's story resonates for me. He was recruited by Magneto to be part of his Brotherhood of Mutants, only to nearly wind up dead at his hands."

He proceded to tell Kate everything he had seen. The missionaries and their kindness. The COBRA backed faction that had overrun the mission. Of Commando Depuis' vengeance.

"The damndest thing," Conrad concluded, "I have mixed emotions about that. On one hand I thought the bastards who attacked the mission got exactly what they deserved. We sent them to the Gates of Saint Peter to face justice. Vae Victis."

"Suffering to the conquered." Kate translated, recognizing the Latin Conrad had spoken. She saw the ex-Legionnaire faintly nod.

"On the other among their number were quite a few youths they had trained to be fighters. I know I will have to answer for having killed." Conrad replied, "Perhaps my punishment was already been bestowed. I'll never forget that teenaged fighter, killed by my hand in Africa."

Kate, seeming to change the topic, asked, “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“I do, in fact. They’re five and eight years younger than me respectively.” Conrad smiled ruefully, “We were close for a long time...and we’re starting to get closer again, since I started writing home again after my first two years in the Legion.”

He looked towards Kate and asked, "What about you, do you have other siblings other than the 'psychotic' older brothers?"

"An older sister, named Rachel, who lives in Miami." Kate replied, "She's still younger than my brothers."

"Ah, and how many brothers do you have?" Conrad asked.

"Three. All psychotic as I said." Kate replied.

"So you are the baby of the family." Conrad said, with a faint smile.

Kate shot him a half serious dirty look, "And you seem to have the older brother vibe to you."

"Touche, mademoiselle." Conrad replied.

A brief, but comfortable silence followed as Conrad asked, "I take it the same scream that woke me up woke you as well?"

Kate nodded, "Poor kid. He might've worked for Magneto, and was kicked out for being the least competent of his bunch, but he still didn't deserve..."

"So now you see why I would personally put a knife through Mystique's gut if I ever ran across her." Conrad replied.

"I understand it, yes. But I don't agree with it, Conrad." Kate replied.

"However, in some strange sort of way Todd was fortunate." Conrad said.

"He survived being thrown out of the jet and Roadblock found him." Kate replied, then with a small smile said, "He's good with Todd, isn't he?"

"Exactly." Conrad replied, "If anyone could show the world that mutants and humans are capable of getting along its those two. Roadblock took the kid in, adopting him as his own son."

"My reports back to Washington have been saying as much." Kate replied.

"Oh the scourge of the field agent. Reports to headquarters." Conrad joked.

"Especially if your boss asks you to clarify things." Kate added, with mirth in her voice.

"You said it. My boss can't believe the story about the gingerbread scorpion." Conrad replied.

"Mine's going nuts about Mr. Toad's Wild Ride." Kate replied.

"Huh?" Conrad asked.

"That's what I've taken to calling Todd's joyride in the tank that we witnessed when we first got here." Kate replied.

"I like how you think." Conrad replied.

The pair talked until the sunlight from the sunrise outside their window shined into the living room...

---

To Be Continued...

 

[Ororo Munroe]

I know what that is like remembering traumatic events from my childhood...
Things that I have lived through...Things that I have done...that I regret...things that I wish I cannot forget...that I wish I could. The dreams...the nightmares...still haunt me sometimes. It is only from working for years with Professor Xavier and Jean Grey that it has improved and become less frequent.

 

[Julie Justice]

Hello Ororo.

I know a lot of things about your history before you joined the X-Men...and the fact that you have been through some bad things and survived only shows hows strong you are... and that you were meant to do great things. And everything that you have done...good or bad...has made you who you are.

Look at all the great comments your story has inspired, Nace. I look forward to the next chapter of your story.