One week later, Nightcrawler was no where to be found. Marrow, Shadow, and Locke were the only people actually under Renegade's leadership. And things kept getting worse.
Venom had tried to get revenge against Renegade for stopping him, but he was repelled from Hell's Kitchen by street thugs. Hundreds of them. All under the Kingpin's orders.
The thugs were searching out Daredevil and the New Lights, and they were involved in combat almost daily. But this came to be routine. The worst was when Nightcrawler returned.
Nightcrawler came back yesterday. There was a huge firefight, and Marrow was already injured. Renegade held off the thugs with his playing cards, but soon ran out. The Kingpin never ran out of thugs, however, and the New Lights were being forced back, on the run…
Nightcrawler teleported in among the thugs. He fought like a beast, using his tail as a weapon more deadly than the twin katanas he was wielding. But soon even his heroic efforts weren't enough. Police showed up, and the thugs blew up their car. The street was littered with dead thugs and everything was covered in blood. It looked like something from a horror movie.
Soon all the New Lights were backed into an alley, including Nightcrawler. It looked hopeless. Renegade was making ready to go for a last stand, and everyone else accepted his judgment with determined finality.
But then things went wrong.
The thugs charged before Renegade had prepared his team. Nightcrawler fell, dropping his swords. He was trampled, not quite to death. Renegade gave orders to run. Marrow couldn't run, though, and Locke was determined to stay with her.
Renegade tried to fight out a path for himself, but the thugs were endless. Shadow escaped by phasing through the street, into the sewers. That's when Daredevil swooped in.
Single-handedly, he took about half the thugs before anyone realized he was even there. When some hood yelled out that he was in the fight, Random charged into the side of the mass of thugs, firing away with his guns.
The thugs were dying off quickly. Things seemed to be looking up. Several of the street toughs began to flee, and it seemed things would be okay.
Until the evil mutants arrived.
Lizard crawled out of the sewers, holding Shadow's limp form. Venom attacked Daredevil, leaping from a rooftop and nearly catching him by surprise. And Sauron tried to attack Locke, swooping out of the sky.
The battle ended quickly, and disastrously. Shadow was taken prisoner, guarded by Lizard even as Lizard attacked Renegade. Locke somehow beat Sauron, turned back into a human. He tied him up, quickly, and kept him for later interrogation.
But venom took over Lizard's job, attacking Renegade. Venom was clearly still bent on revenge. Daredevil tried to come to the rescue again as Random finished off the henchmen sent by Kingpin.
But Lizard tore him apart. Lizard had some chemical, something green, he had spilled on Daredevil. Daredevil lost his radar abilities, and flailed about blindly. Lizard reached for him, held him with his tail.
And tore his throat out.
Renegade couldn't get it off his mind. Twice Daredevil saved him, and twice he had failed to give repayment of any kind. Nightcrawler was all but dead. Shadow was prisoner. Marrow was wounded. And Locke…remained a mystery. Renegade didn't know what happened to Random.
But Renegade knew that he had to find out more about Locke.
After talking with him, he discovered he was actually created by the government, with one purpose-to stop mutants. He was given super-human stregth, speed, and agility. But his most important power was a mutant-nullification beam. It was this ability that had stopped Sauron and allowed them to walk away with one prisoner.
But all that was yesterday.
Today, Renegade didn't know what to do. He eventually decided he would interrogate Sauron, in his human form.
He kicked open the door to the lounge. Instead of flying open, it fell down. He didn't care. "You."
Sauron looked over. A blank stare. Uncaring.
"Who is the Jester?"
"Who cares?"
Renegade punched him. Hard. In the face. He heard bones crack, and felt warm blood. Good.
"Why did you attack us yesterday?"
"Jester told us to."
"Why?"
"Who cares?"
Renegade didn't bother punching him again. He took out a card. Sauron's eyes bulged, but he kept his mouth shut. The card began glowing pink.
"Who's Jester?"
"No one."
Renegade tossed the card, almost carelessly, at Sauron. It exploded, taking Sauron's head with it.
He threw the body out the window and went back to his room. No clues, no plan, no team. And no escape. At least the Kingpin's thugs were off their tails now. He turned on the TV. The news was on every channel, showing the scenes he had created in the middle of the street yesterday. The blood. The dead bodies, both cops and thugs.
He smashed the screen of the set in. It flicked off, spouted sparks. He needed no reminders. All was lost.
Venom had tried to get revenge against Renegade for stopping him, but he was repelled from Hell's Kitchen by street thugs. Hundreds of them. All under the Kingpin's orders.
The thugs were searching out Daredevil and the New Lights, and they were involved in combat almost daily. But this came to be routine. The worst was when Nightcrawler returned.
Nightcrawler came back yesterday. There was a huge firefight, and Marrow was already injured. Renegade held off the thugs with his playing cards, but soon ran out. The Kingpin never ran out of thugs, however, and the New Lights were being forced back, on the run…
Nightcrawler teleported in among the thugs. He fought like a beast, using his tail as a weapon more deadly than the twin katanas he was wielding. But soon even his heroic efforts weren't enough. Police showed up, and the thugs blew up their car. The street was littered with dead thugs and everything was covered in blood. It looked like something from a horror movie.
Soon all the New Lights were backed into an alley, including Nightcrawler. It looked hopeless. Renegade was making ready to go for a last stand, and everyone else accepted his judgment with determined finality.
But then things went wrong.
The thugs charged before Renegade had prepared his team. Nightcrawler fell, dropping his swords. He was trampled, not quite to death. Renegade gave orders to run. Marrow couldn't run, though, and Locke was determined to stay with her.
Renegade tried to fight out a path for himself, but the thugs were endless. Shadow escaped by phasing through the street, into the sewers. That's when Daredevil swooped in.
Single-handedly, he took about half the thugs before anyone realized he was even there. When some hood yelled out that he was in the fight, Random charged into the side of the mass of thugs, firing away with his guns.
The thugs were dying off quickly. Things seemed to be looking up. Several of the street toughs began to flee, and it seemed things would be okay.
Until the evil mutants arrived.
Lizard crawled out of the sewers, holding Shadow's limp form. Venom attacked Daredevil, leaping from a rooftop and nearly catching him by surprise. And Sauron tried to attack Locke, swooping out of the sky.
The battle ended quickly, and disastrously. Shadow was taken prisoner, guarded by Lizard even as Lizard attacked Renegade. Locke somehow beat Sauron, turned back into a human. He tied him up, quickly, and kept him for later interrogation.
But venom took over Lizard's job, attacking Renegade. Venom was clearly still bent on revenge. Daredevil tried to come to the rescue again as Random finished off the henchmen sent by Kingpin.
But Lizard tore him apart. Lizard had some chemical, something green, he had spilled on Daredevil. Daredevil lost his radar abilities, and flailed about blindly. Lizard reached for him, held him with his tail.
And tore his throat out.
Renegade couldn't get it off his mind. Twice Daredevil saved him, and twice he had failed to give repayment of any kind. Nightcrawler was all but dead. Shadow was prisoner. Marrow was wounded. And Locke…remained a mystery. Renegade didn't know what happened to Random.
But Renegade knew that he had to find out more about Locke.
After talking with him, he discovered he was actually created by the government, with one purpose-to stop mutants. He was given super-human stregth, speed, and agility. But his most important power was a mutant-nullification beam. It was this ability that had stopped Sauron and allowed them to walk away with one prisoner.
But all that was yesterday.
Today, Renegade didn't know what to do. He eventually decided he would interrogate Sauron, in his human form.
He kicked open the door to the lounge. Instead of flying open, it fell down. He didn't care. "You."
Sauron looked over. A blank stare. Uncaring.
"Who is the Jester?"
"Who cares?"
Renegade punched him. Hard. In the face. He heard bones crack, and felt warm blood. Good.
"Why did you attack us yesterday?"
"Jester told us to."
"Why?"
"Who cares?"
Renegade didn't bother punching him again. He took out a card. Sauron's eyes bulged, but he kept his mouth shut. The card began glowing pink.
"Who's Jester?"
"No one."
Renegade tossed the card, almost carelessly, at Sauron. It exploded, taking Sauron's head with it.
He threw the body out the window and went back to his room. No clues, no plan, no team. And no escape. At least the Kingpin's thugs were off their tails now. He turned on the TV. The news was on every channel, showing the scenes he had created in the middle of the street yesterday. The blood. The dead bodies, both cops and thugs.
He smashed the screen of the set in. It flicked off, spouted sparks. He needed no reminders. All was lost.
