Renegade knew only one way to clear things up. He left Locke at the apartments and took off on his bike. He had to find Random and then bring things to an end before anyone else bought it.

Knowing Random couldn't have gone too far, he began searching. He checked random alleys, broken-down buildings, and rooftops. But Random wasn't anywhere to be found. After hours of searching, he checked back at Murdock's old office. He found Random there, as much to his surprise as Random's.

After quickly explaining the situation, he hurried back to the apartment. A tragic sight greeted him. Marrow, near to death, Locke helping where he can.

"Nightcrawler tried to murder her," Locke explained quickly. "I thought it was him from the beginning. He killed Havok, too. He teleported away when I found him. He didn't have time to kill her."

Renegade needed no more urging. He left once again, with a more important mission on his mind this time.

He didn't have a clue where to look. For all he knew, Nightcrawler teleported back to Germany. But he searched valiantly anyway, riding around Hell's Kitchen, searching everywhere.

It wasn't too long before Nightcrawler teleported right in front of him. On the second story of an unfinished skyscraper that was being built by the Kingpin's crew.

"Looking for me?" Nightcrawler held three swords, one katana in each hand, plus a rapier grasped firmly in his tail.

Renegade got off his motorcycle. Grabbing his staff, he made ready for action.

Nightcrawler cackled and teleported one story up, forcing Renegade to climb.

"I killed Professor X, you know," Nightcrawler was saying. "I sold him to Jester."

Gambit reached the first floor, then found an elevator. He got in, punched the button to take him up. He was riding to the top.

"Revenge, is it? For Shadow, or Marrow? Or perhaps Estis? No, you never even met Estis. Jubilee, then? Or for getting rid of Deadpool? Perhaps the professor himself? Maybe Havok?"

Nightcrawler's taunts were getting to Renegade, as much as he told himself to ignore him. Nightcrawler had an annoying way to get under your skin, and he used it indiscriminately.

"Or are you just training? Maybe you like climbing buildings? Feeling stupid yet?"

Renegade had had enough. "Dammit!" He hurled a card at the screen door of the elevator. The door flew outwards when the card exploded, and Nightcrawler cackled with glee.

Renegade leapt out of the elevator, and began attacking Nightcrawler viciously. His staff swung in terrifying attacks, each of which Nightcrawler parried with unsettling ease. Renegade stumbled and backed up. Nightcrawler laughed again, and made ready to finish the fight.

Then Renegade slipped the metal caps off the ends of his staff. Underneath, on either end, was a pointed metal head, like a spear. A double sided spear.

The fight began again, each combatant attacking and parrying, thrusting and dodging, kicking leaping. Neither had much success, but Nightcrawler was wearing Renegade down.

"I'm going to finish you off, too. One at a time, the New Lights will die!"

Renegade increased the ferocity of his attacks, but they only wasted more and more of his energy. Both of them were putting on a spectacular show, however, and people were beginning to crowd around in the streets, each cheering for whoever they fancied.

Renegade knew he was almost done for. He was moving sluggishly, his muscles screaming in pain and protest to every block, each attack. He had to end the battle soon, one way or the other. When Nightcrawler stabbed at his foot with the weapon held by his tail, Renegade saw his chance.

Moving his staff in a quick circular motion, he disarmed the rapier from Nightcrawler's tail. Nightcrawler was slow to react, and in the second it took for the action to register, Renegade had stabbed him through the chest with one of the pointed ends of his staff.

Nightcrawler let out an inhuman scream, and several people on the ground applauded appreciatively. He stumbled backwards, towards the edge of the building, sliding himself off the end of Renegade's staff. He dropped one of his katanas, and with the other he made a last, desperate, two-handed overhead downward chop. Rather than block, Renegade kicked Nightcrawler, just below where his staff entered Nightcrawler's chest.

Nightcrawler let out another cry, softer this time, more desperate. Renegade grinned wolfishly at him, and winked. He reached into his coat, pulled out a card. Nightcrawler tried to teleport away, but he took Gambit with him since they were connected by the staff.

They were on the top floor now, what would become the roof. Nightcrawler knew all was lost, and dropped his sword piteously, ready to beg for mercy. Renegade lit the card up, a two of hearts, and it glowed with pink energy.

Nightcrawler's eyes rolled up into his head as he started to scream. Renegade never let him finish. The card exploded as it hit Nightcrawler, propelling what was now just a dead body outwards, through the air. It landed with a sickening thump in the street.

Renegade kneeled down, exhausted. There was no way he could make it down…

"Grab on, Gambit!"

He looked up, surprised. Rogue was flying in the air, just above Gambit. She let down her hand, waiting for Gambit to grab on. In that moment he became Gambit again, and she forgave him. Though nothing was said, it was all understood. He gratefully grasped her hand, and she flew him back to the warehouse.

He landed to see a battle already in progress. Random was attacking the Lizard, and Deadpool was fighting Venom. Locke had his hands full fighting this clown in an old-fashioned court jester suit, obviously Jester. Marrow, who appeared to be healed, fought against…Jubilee? Shadow was fighting against Rogue, when she went back to join the battle. The only being not in combat was a green, reptilian begin. It had no legs,

but instead a long tail, like a snake.

"Need a dance partner?" Gambit cockily asked the alien creature. It hissed back an unintelligible reply.

It had a curved sword, which it used ferociously. Gambit was beginning to tire out again when suddenly, the creature dropped it's weapon and fell to the ground, unconscious. Jubilee also stumbled and fell.

Gambit looked around, confused, but he soon found the answer. Locke had apparently used his anti-mutant ray against Jester. The Jester was controlling Jubilee, so whatever Gambit was fighting had to be Estis.

This brought the fight to an abrupt conclusion. The Lizard was transformed into a one-armed scientist by Locke's anti-mutant ray, and Venom fled when the battle turned. Only the Jester remained in the fight, and nearly won.

Jester held a scepter, which was encrusted with jewels and gold. Whenever he pushed down on a jewel, it would shoot a different beam. Random had been knocked unconscious, or perhaps killed, by one of the Jester's rays. Marrow had left the fight, and Locke was worn out.

It was Rogue and Gambit against Jester. Using one of their old strategies, one they had invented back with the X-Men, Gambit distracted Jester with thrown cards. He was too tired to do anything else.

Rogue, meanwhile, slipped behind jester, and took off her gloves. Placing her

hands on Jester's neck, she stole his powers, energy, and memories. And then the fight was over.

Jester had limited telepathy, mainly mind control powers. Using these stolen powers, Rogue blocked Jester from using them himself. Gambit threw three cards in rapid succession, and all that remained of Jester was a smoking crater.

Gambit returned with the New Lights, now called the X-After, to the apartment building. Random, Rogue, Marrow, Locke, Estis, Jubilee, and Gambit. Things seemed quite anti-climatic, as there was little more for the group to do now than battle minor street punks trying to rob an innocent person.

In short, the X-After controlled Hell's Kitchen. "Peace" was a loosely used term to indicate no attacks by major mutant or alien threats, and they lived in this "Peace" for another few months.

Then, things got rocky again. But that's for next time...when the New Lights take a vacation...deadlier than any Jaws movie...