The apocalypse incident had ended two months ago and the situation in Bayville had returned to normal. That is to say both sides of the mutant population have returned to an uneasy coexistence filled with insults and absentee parent figures (On the brotherhoods side at least); the only exception being Lance and Kitty. Despite frequent protests and interventions, the two were still in an on again/off again relationship.

Magneto had disappeared, presumably to do something to better mutant kind in a way that wouldn't put him at odds with his new found treaty with Xavier. Mystique was off licking her wounds somewhere in between her attempts at repairing her relationship with her Children. Gambit had returned from New Orleans and was stalking/dating Rogue; no one was really sure what their deal was. Colossus had recovered his sister Illyana, after Magneto's apparent change of heart, and the two siblings were now living at Xavier's. Pyro, having nowhere else to go, had moved in with the brotherhood. All protests about the fire happy mutant moving in ceased when he began paying rent.

Yes, both sides were currently experiencing a time of peace. Mutant-human relations were at a high point, and fighting was at a low point. In fact this era would be entirely uneventful if not for one small detail approximately 15 inches long weighing 6.4 pounds currently resting amongst the trash in a small unpopular alley. This small detail also had a dirty diaper and glowing purple eyes; which may have had something to do with why it was currently sleeping in that alley.

Infants possessing physical mutations were left to die on more than one occasion. In a few years these children would even have their own slang word. In fact this infant would have likely ended up as an unfortunate statistic if it hadn't started crying at the same time a green amphibious teenage boy had walked past that exact alley.

Todd Tolansky AKA Toad was having a bad day. First Pietro started in on his bathing habits and then his beloved cuddly bumps had thrown him out the window. Forget what Lance said he knew she was just playing hard to get. If that wasn't enough the brotherhood found out that Mystique hadn't finished paying off the mortgage before she took off again. Pyro was floating them enough money to stay for now but refused to pay any more. Apparently he decided that if he had to cough up that much he might as well go get his own place. This meant that the rest of the brotherhood had to go get jobs; and Toad was the only one who hadn't managed to get one yet.

Pietro got some online gig taking surveys and doing book keeping for some overseas company who had no idea he was a mutant or a teenager (thank you bucket head for those lovely fake identification papers); a job he usually finished in about five thanks to his super speed. Lance was working at a mechanics shop that didn't have a problem hiring him as long as the customers didn't know he was a mutant. Freddy was doing what he loved, eating. He had actually been hired as a taste tester for some snack cake company. Wanda was taking her code name to heart and working at some magic shop somewhere she wouldn't tell them; apparently she didn't want visitors. Pyro, to everyone's surprise was a well-known romance novelist and currently in the middle of writing his newest book. And since Toad was the only one left out they decided he had to do all the chores until he started paying rent.

Toad hated doing chores so he had spent nearly every day searching for someplace to work but no one would let him in for an interview. He was convinced it was because he was a mutant but Pietro claimed it was due to his smell. He smelled like a man dammit, it was obviously discrimination. This injustice was what led him to kicking an empty can around on his way home; his newest best friend he decided to name Canny. After one kick too hard the can flew into a nearby alley abandoning the strange boy, leaving him without even that to vent his frustrations on.

Toad decided to forget about the can and just head home. With a depressed sigh he turned his head and took a step away from Canny. Just then he heard a strange sound. It sounded like a baby crying in the alley. But that wasn't right, babies had parents and there wasn't anybody nearby. The sound got louder. Deciding against ignoring the noise he went to check and sure enough there was a small baby mixed in with the trash. For a second Toad thought he must have been wrong, but then the baby opened its eye. There was no pupil sclera or iris; there was only a strange glowing field of purple. It was obviously a mutant, abandoned for its differences. Much like most of his friends had been. Without further thought, Toad picked the baby up and began hopping home. What happened next would be anyone's guess.