Runaways #26

Overview

The kids continue their New York adventure and encounter someone dangerous that they’ve never met before. Hint—LOOK BEHIND MOLLY ON THE COVER. Will he punish the Runaways? Superstar Joss Whedon (Buffy, ASTONISHING X-MEN) and rising star Michael Ryan (NEW X-MEN, NEW EXCALIBUR) continue a tale that will take the Runaways somewhere they’ve never been before! PART 2 (of 6)!

As the Runaways try escaping with the stolen articfact for the Kingpin, the Punisher fights the mysteriious man with the sword. The Runaways don't know who is on who's side. As they both turn their attention on the kids, Nico finally creates a spell to make them phase through the roof of the building they're on.

The Kingpin is in his office contemplating the Punisher's involvement. He admires him for thinking he's fighting a war but thinks he's a fool for believing that he could win it.

The Runaways make it back to the Leap Frog and realize that Chase and Old Lace aren't with them. Is it possible they didn't survive the explosion? Molly thinks maybe Chase jumped when he saw the missle and Old Lace could've grabed him and used her claws to grab the building. Nico and Xavin begin to argue after Karolina goes to look for them. Then Chase and Lace climb up over the edge of the building. Chase tells them that he jumped and Lace saved him. Molly is shocked that she was right. As Nico acts "like a girl" and cries over Chase being alive, Molly wants to know why no one is "awesomed" by her guessing what happened.

The Punisher shows up behind her. Karolina asks him if he's really going to shoot kids. He says it's wouldn't be the first time. When Victor says they're not criminals, Punisher says they stole something for the Kingpin. Chase thinks that they didn't take something that doesn't belong to them. The device looks like something his parents might have built. That makes it property of the Pride. He also tells the Punisher that he can punish his ass. As the Punisher is about to shoot him, Molly punches him in the stomach.

When the Punisher begins to recover from the blow, the others are talking (some are yelling) with Molly. She didn't know he didn't have powers. The Punisher tries not to fall over as the Runaways discuss whether or not he's bleeding internally. Nico doesn't want to waste a healing spell on him since he held a gun at them.

They leave in the Leap Frog and try to figure out if Chase's parents did create the device. The Leap Frog seems to react to the device but they don't know what will happen if they put them together. They don't understand why the Kingpin would send them to retrieve it knowing that they would figure it out. They know that if they don't give it to him, he'll have them killed. Chase suggest they let Molly hit him. She says she won't hit anyone else without powers, especially if "they've got glands." Following behind them is the winged man with the sword.

They return to the apartment the Kingpin lent them. They figure they have just enough time to get out of the state before they were to deliver the device. When they open the door, they find the Kingpin and heck of a lot of ninjas inside. He says he doesn't know why his client paid him a lot to have the kids steal something that is basically already theirs.

A fight begins. The ninjas are everywhere. One of them kicks Victor off the roof when the winged man grabs him. Victor threatens to mess with his mechanical wings if he doesn't put him down. The man tells him to shut up because Victor has a message to give. Nico gets slashed from behind and calls forth the staff. She makes them all fall asleep. Unfortunately, the Kingpin has already left after calling in a contact in Stark's R&D department. Victor tells them they have to run. A flying robot shoots a bunch of missles at the building as they jump into the Leap Frog. Not having a choice, they insert the device into the Frog as it hits overdrive.

As they land, the Leap Frog cannot determine where they are. Nico is still bleeding badly. Chase and Victor go out to see where "overdrive" took them. It seems to be more of a question of "when" as they see the street filled with horse-drawn carriages.