is seen seemingly dying, forcing him to leave behind that life and operate clandestinely for a while with Duncan's help. Eventually, Richie meets the immortal James Coltec who has regularly used his unique abilities to take the "darkness" out of others. Absorbing the energy of yet another evil immortal causes Coltec to suffer a Dark Quickening, a rare phenomenon where an immortal's personality is corrupted and overwhelmed by the evil of the person whose Quickening they just absorbed. Forced to fight his old friend, MacLeod kills Coltec but is then himself corrupted by the Dark Quickening, attacking Richie afterward as a result. Saved by Joe Dawson, Richie is told to leave town. Though MacLeod later recovers his true personality, Richie is traumatized by their encounter and concludes that friendships between immortals are meaningless since in the end there can be only one. Determined not to protect himself by increasing his power, Richie spends months challenging other immortals and taking their heads, using the skills Duncan and Charlie taught him. After Richie kills the 900-year-old Carter Wellan, the man's immortal mentor Haresh Clay swears revenge. Richie breaks his sword during his first battle with Clay. Duncan later brings him a new sword, a rapier belonging to Graham Ashe, an old teacher of the Highlander's (and of Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez) who died at Clay's hands centuries before. Duncan defeats Clay and begins rebuilding a friendship with Richie. Soon afterward, Richie and Duncan meet Jennifer Hill, a woman seeking to avenge her husband Alec Hill. Richie later realizes he himself killed Alec Hill when he and the man had angrily challenged each other months before, he simply never knew the man's name. Jennifer approaches Richie romantically and he spends the night with her, later confused why he would do so and believing part of Alec's Quickening drove him. He then confesses to both her and Duncan. Jennifer attempts to kill Richie but then the young man briefly assumes Alec's voice and persona, pleading for mercy. Jennifer leaves, letting Richie live. Feeling guilt over his months of challenging and killing, Richie follows an immortal who preaches peace. When an immortal kills his new teacher, Richie renounces his new pacifist lifestyle and takes the killer's head in revenge. Richie leaves Seacouver and returns to Europe under the name Richard Redstone. After being kidnapped by a woman named Marina LeMartin, the two begin a romantic relationship.