"Move it."
Renegade's eyes popped open, and he sat bolt upright, hands automatically reaching out for his staff. He grasped only empty air, however. His staff was still on the floor, with his duffel bag.
When a devastating attack failed to strike him, however, he looked around. Obviously, it was no enemy who woke him up. But if it had been…
He repressed a shudder as he followed Jubilee back out of his room. He went to the lounge, opened the door, and stared in dumb amazement. There were faces he never expected to see again, and faces he never saw in the first place.
He instantly recognized Marrow, Havok, and Nightcrawler. It was almost amazing to see them all here. But there were still more. A young woman, finely built, sat comfortably on a couch that looked as though it was made of stone. He thought she looked familiar, but couldn't be sure. He saw a young man, someone he was sure he'd never seen in his life before. He was standing alone, in the corner, glaring out at everyone as though none of them were allies.
"So, these are the New Lights?" Renegade looked around the room contemptuously. "Don't think much o' ya. What is this, anyway?"
The room became instantly quiet. Renegade's challenge had not gone unnoticed. Not that he cared.
"Yeah. Well, I'm Renegade. I'm the leader of this group o' rabble, apparently. So, what do we do first? How about you, and you-" he pointed at the two he didn't recognize. "introduce yerselves. I know the rest of ya."
The girl on the couch spoke up first. "I'm Shadow, formerly Shadow Cat. Don't you remember me, Gambit?"
That struck Renegade hard, as though he had been slapped in the face. He remembered Shadow cat, and she didn't look anything like her. He would've recognized her, he was sure.
"I'm not Gambit." He spat out the words, making them a challenge more than a statement. "And you?"
The man in the corner walked to the center of the room. He had a disdainful look on his face, one Renegade recognized as his own from the past. He couldn't like this one too much. He reminded Renegade of what he once was.
"I'm Locke. Formerly Locke. And I'll be Locke from now on." He made the name a joke, as though Renegade/Gambit and Shadow/Shadow Cat were simply playing games with their identities. It annoyed Renegade, his whole cocky attitude and his icy demeaner. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking at himself.
Renegade snorted. "So this is everyone?"
Jubilee spoke up. "Not quite. We're missing Estis and Deadpool-"
"Deadpool?" The name gave renegade a shock. He had always respected Deadpool, but had been careful not to show it. But Deadpool had been a mercenary, an assassin, so he thought.
"Yes, Deadpool. Estis and Deadpool had to take care of some business before they came. They should get here later tonight."
Renegade nodded. But still, he wasn't even sure why he was here. He had to make sure he was doing the right thing, not just having fun. Although a little fun would be a welcome change for him. "So, what do we do, anyway? What's the point of the New Lights?"
Locke snorted derisively. "Our own leader doesn't know what we stand for? What is this, a joke?"
Renegade stepped forward threateningly, and Locke tensed his muscles, ready for action. Marrow quickly stepped between them.
"We are here to protect who we can. We no longer hold Professor X's dream of a peaceful world. We accept the wars that must be fought. It is just our job to make sure the right side wins."
Gambit backed down, thinking about it. "War?"
"Right now, it's between those who take things for their own good, and the rightful governement."
"What's the difference?" Locke commented sourly.
"I was just thinking the same thing myself," Renegade replied coolly.
Marrow sighed. "It's the 'good' mutants against the 'evil' mutants, ok? Can we all accept that?"
Renegade shrugged. "Good enough. What side are we on?"
No one responded. Renegade shrugged again, and went back to his room. No one followed.
Renegade's eyes popped open, and he sat bolt upright, hands automatically reaching out for his staff. He grasped only empty air, however. His staff was still on the floor, with his duffel bag.
When a devastating attack failed to strike him, however, he looked around. Obviously, it was no enemy who woke him up. But if it had been…
He repressed a shudder as he followed Jubilee back out of his room. He went to the lounge, opened the door, and stared in dumb amazement. There were faces he never expected to see again, and faces he never saw in the first place.
He instantly recognized Marrow, Havok, and Nightcrawler. It was almost amazing to see them all here. But there were still more. A young woman, finely built, sat comfortably on a couch that looked as though it was made of stone. He thought she looked familiar, but couldn't be sure. He saw a young man, someone he was sure he'd never seen in his life before. He was standing alone, in the corner, glaring out at everyone as though none of them were allies.
"So, these are the New Lights?" Renegade looked around the room contemptuously. "Don't think much o' ya. What is this, anyway?"
The room became instantly quiet. Renegade's challenge had not gone unnoticed. Not that he cared.
"Yeah. Well, I'm Renegade. I'm the leader of this group o' rabble, apparently. So, what do we do first? How about you, and you-" he pointed at the two he didn't recognize. "introduce yerselves. I know the rest of ya."
The girl on the couch spoke up first. "I'm Shadow, formerly Shadow Cat. Don't you remember me, Gambit?"
That struck Renegade hard, as though he had been slapped in the face. He remembered Shadow cat, and she didn't look anything like her. He would've recognized her, he was sure.
"I'm not Gambit." He spat out the words, making them a challenge more than a statement. "And you?"
The man in the corner walked to the center of the room. He had a disdainful look on his face, one Renegade recognized as his own from the past. He couldn't like this one too much. He reminded Renegade of what he once was.
"I'm Locke. Formerly Locke. And I'll be Locke from now on." He made the name a joke, as though Renegade/Gambit and Shadow/Shadow Cat were simply playing games with their identities. It annoyed Renegade, his whole cocky attitude and his icy demeaner. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking at himself.
Renegade snorted. "So this is everyone?"
Jubilee spoke up. "Not quite. We're missing Estis and Deadpool-"
"Deadpool?" The name gave renegade a shock. He had always respected Deadpool, but had been careful not to show it. But Deadpool had been a mercenary, an assassin, so he thought.
"Yes, Deadpool. Estis and Deadpool had to take care of some business before they came. They should get here later tonight."
Renegade nodded. But still, he wasn't even sure why he was here. He had to make sure he was doing the right thing, not just having fun. Although a little fun would be a welcome change for him. "So, what do we do, anyway? What's the point of the New Lights?"
Locke snorted derisively. "Our own leader doesn't know what we stand for? What is this, a joke?"
Renegade stepped forward threateningly, and Locke tensed his muscles, ready for action. Marrow quickly stepped between them.
"We are here to protect who we can. We no longer hold Professor X's dream of a peaceful world. We accept the wars that must be fought. It is just our job to make sure the right side wins."
Gambit backed down, thinking about it. "War?"
"Right now, it's between those who take things for their own good, and the rightful governement."
"What's the difference?" Locke commented sourly.
"I was just thinking the same thing myself," Renegade replied coolly.
Marrow sighed. "It's the 'good' mutants against the 'evil' mutants, ok? Can we all accept that?"
Renegade shrugged. "Good enough. What side are we on?"
No one responded. Renegade shrugged again, and went back to his room. No one followed.
