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[Assistant]
War Machines
On the station of Graymalkin, in orbit high above the Earth, X-Force is confronted by a new threat…War Machine. As War Machine locks in on the individual members of X-Force, he issues an ultimatum for them to surrender or “go down the hard way”. X-Force, however, aren’t willing to go down without a fight, and suddenly the entire battlefield is filled with gunfire and explosions as War Machine opens up in Full Weapons Mode.
Cannonball takes to the air, and attempts to take War Machine from above, but War Machine counteracts by blasting the machinery above Cannonball, knocking it down on top of him. The Professor, who the rest of X-Force continue to call Ship, protests, stating that the station is receiving massive damage from the ensuing fight. Rictor and Sunspot flank War Machine and blast him from opposing sides with their individual powers, which only appears to stagger the former Avenger. War Machine returns fire on X-Force with a barrage of rubber bullet fired from his shoulder mounted machine gun.
 Shatterstar takes the brunt of the onslaught, while Feral dives for cover and Lila Cheney decides to split and teleport away. Feral only dives into more trouble however and soon finds herself on the business end of Fury’s blaster rifle. As quick on her feet as she is with her words, Feral manages to back flip out of gun range; however this doesn’t prevent Fury from shooting anyway. The explosion destroys another part of the Professor’s machinery and Feral is caught in the blast.
 With smoke filling the chambers, War Machine finds it rather difficult to track his targets, and switches his suit imaging systems to detect infra-red. Suddenly, Shatterstar burst forth from the smoke and smashes War Machine across his face-plate.
 Elsewhere, Sunspot lifts the pile of debris from off his teammate, Cannonball and finds him for the most part okay. The battle is suddenly halted when an explosion rocks the entire station, at which point the Professor warns that the combined effects of the electro-magnetic interference from the Stark satellite, combined with the battle damage and unauthorized personnel has resulted in massive systems failures across the station. And without the proper override sequencing, the Professor is unable to take any steps into preserving the station. Cannonball asks if there is anything that they can do, at which point the Professor answers that there is only one person capable of giving the verbal authorization, and that was Cable.
Camp Verde, Arizona:
The three remaining members of X-Force, Warpath, Siryn and Boomer have finally returned home after seeking supplies from town. Upon their arrival in their jeep however, they discover that the entire base has been deserted. Even after Siryn attempts an aerial reconnaissance, no one is detected within the base. Bewildered, the trio make their way down into the base pits, and are suddenly blasted from behind with a massive energy bolt which quickly renders them all unconscious. A shadowed figure then emerges and states how pathetic these mutants are, and how he can’t believe that Gideon actually considers any of them a threat. The being, now revealed to be Saul, gloats over his fallen victims, stating that the External never worry about anything for too long.
South Stickney, Illinois:
Two figures emerge from a vehicle parked outside a suburban home, and knock on the front door. The door is answered by an old woman who suddenly becomes very happy to see her guests, who are revealed to be Domino and Grizzly. The two are let in and Hammer enters the room in his mobile chair, exclaiming how Garrison Kane has showed up six weeks prior. Grizzly informs Hammer that they need his help, at which point Domino points out that it involves Cable. Hammer asks if it involves killing him, but Domino answers no, but it does involve keep his legacy alive.
Graymalkin:
Explosions outside and throughout the station, send X-Force and SHIELD members alike flying. Bridge, not letting go of his vendetta, grabs Cannonball by the collar, blaming him for the fiasco that they are now caught up in. Cannonball, on the other hand, would rather let Cable’s technology be destroyed than fall into the wrong hands, and focuses his power into Bridge, knocking him to the ground. War Machine, standing above Cannonball, orders him to let Bridge go. Cannonball asks War Machine what he wants Graymalkin for, but Fury counters with the same argument. Cannonball states that he just wants for Cable to have left them something. The argument is brought to a close, however, as the station collapses between them and buries several members of both teams under tons of debris.
War Machine is the first to break free, followed shortly after by various members of X-Force. The Professor warns that they have fifteen minutes to evacuate, at which point Lila Cheney returns from her cross galactic jaunt. Knowing that they could now escape, Rictor is unsure of the rightness of abandoning Fury and his crew.
 Meanwhile, in another section of the station, Sunspot and Cannonball continue their efforts to save what they can of Graymalkin. The problem, however, persists that the self-preservation override still needs voice activation. Cannonball insists that there has to be a way to save Graymalkin in some way, at which point the Professor informs them that a secondary voice recognition was programmed into the system. The two surmise that it may be Domino, or another member of the Six Pack, but Cannonball is unsure. Sunspot then suggests that it may be Cannonball. Deciding to give it a try, Cannonball orders the override systems to activate, and much to their surprise he succeeds. With most of the systems already damaged, the Professor informs Cannonball that to reactivate the stations cloaking systems they would have to substantially reduce the station’s load. The Professor then requests that if he can’t access his main programmer’s decisions of such consequence he would do so with the help of his “children”. At that suggestion, both Sunspot and Cannonball are surprised that Cable thought of them in such a way.
Boston, Massachusetts:
In a very well known bar, two women walk in and make their way to the counter, drawing the attention of every male in the place. The bartender recognizes Tina Valentino, and makes an openly obvious pass at the two girls. When he asks what he could get them, Tina states that he had better make it a double. The two girls look exactly identical.
New Delhi:
At a townhouse that was once owned by Tolliver, Deadpool makes his presence known. With the bodies of armed guards scattered across the grounds, Deadpool says that it took him a while to find the safe house that kept Tolliver’s personnel files. At which point he brings his sword to the throat of the lone survivor, a man known as Abahla. Abahla nervously informs Deadpool that all the files are readily available to him, and then hands him the file that he was looking for. Deadpool looks in the file and discovers the location of Vanessa’s last known address before she began to work for Tolliver. Deadpool then threatens to come after both Vanessa and Tina and cut them both down.
Graymalkin:
With the station shaking, War Machine and the other members of SHIELD wonder what exactly is going on around them. Fury gives the order to evacuate, that none of Cable’s technology is worth dying over. This upsets Bridge, who is still obsessed with getting whatever Cable may have, but Fury exclaims that Cable is dead and the vendetta is over. War Machine points out that Lila Cheney has returned, while on the X-Force side Lila exclaims that they have to make a decision. Rictor is adamant about not leave Fury’s group behind, but Lila is unsure for to take them may require a fight.
 Back with Cannonball and Sunspot, the two are making progress in dumping nonessential systems, including the weapons depot, which Cannonball orders to direct the jettisoned pod towards their Camp Verde base. However, it doesn’t appear as if though they making good time, there is too much to dump and not enough time to decide which systems to do so. Cannonball asks what the largest system on the station is and the Professor answers that it is the Temporal Displacement Core. Sam realizes that the core is what is responsible for Cable’s time travels and that if he was still alive the core would be his only means of returning. Making a very hard decision, Cannonball gives the order to dump the TDC into the deepest, furthest part of the Pacific Ocean. However the order appears to come too late, as the Professor warns of an alert. Suddenly, the entire station appears to explode.


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[Assistant]
Ordnance Weighed in Blood
0130 Hours
Graymalkin
Cable’s space station, most recently found orbiting around Earth, explodes with an unbridled fury. The fate of the crew inside (X-Force, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and War Machine) is soon revealed, as they are teleported to the S.H.I.E.L.D. space shuttle nearby.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, sporting leis thanks to their brief transportational layover in a Skrull brothel, stand face to face with X-Force. Rictor asks Fury if the battle is over since Cheney saved their lives. Lila adds she’ll send them to the backside of Alpha Centauri if it’s not. Bridge takes aim with his weapon and tells the young mutants they’re under arrest. Lila smiles as she teleports herself and her friends away.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. crew is left to lick their wounds. Fury asks War Machine for the status on Graymalkin. War Machine tells him it’s gone from his sensors either destroyed or cloaked. Bridge is furious at Cable and the destruction and disaster left in his wake, his final legacy as he puts it. Fury stares out into the black vastness of space through one of the shuttle windows. He’s happy that at least X-Force never got their hands on Cable’s ordnance.
While near the Earth’s atmosphere, a lone escape pod rockets toward the planet’s surface. Inside are two of X-Force’s members, Cannonball and Sunspot. Sunspot asks if it’s getting hotter. Cannonball agrees leading Sunspot to believe their death is at hand. Cannonball assures him they’ll be fine and hopes Lila and the rest of the gang made it out ok.
Cannonball checks with Professor to see if the computer system is still online. Professor acknowledges his continuing presence, but adds his functions will terminate once the pod lands on Earth. Cannonball can’t believe they’re going to lose him, but Professor explains it’s a failsafe procedure to make sure nobody gets access to his programming from this part of the century.
The pod breaks through the atmosphere and slows its descent as the solar sail is deployed. Professor further explains that when the electromagnetic field surrounding Graymalkin ignited he used the explosion to create the perception of his destruction. Then he recloaked the bulk of Graymalkin.
North Oregon coastline
A home that costs more than most states’ entire annual revenue stands overlooking the majestic coast. Shackled along the rocky wall beneath, waist deep in water is Boomer, Siryn and Warpath. As the waves beat against them again and again Saul, owner of the majestic home above them, strolls out for a quick conversation. He apologizes for the manner in which he must treat them, but explains they are too dangerous to be dealt with otherwise.
Siryn curses at him, demanding to know who he is. Saul introduces himself and adds that he’s an External. Saul tells the X-Forcers they’re being kept there as part of his plan. Warpath asks what his plan is. Saul points at the mutant who just showed up, Gideon, and says it would be better to ask him.
Gideon greets the mutant teenagers with a wicked smile on his face. He revels in the hardship they’re facing all in the name of the External cause. He teases them with their impending death and mocks their current anguish, never explaining the purpose behind their capture.
Camp Verde
Lila Cheney’s teleportation vortex appears above the grounds of X-Force’s latest base of operations. Upon arrival the team’s thoughts turn towards Cannonball and Sunspot and their well-being. Feral heads off into the bunker to search for the other members of X-Force, completely unaware they’ve been captured by the Externals. Rictor orders the others to follow him into the communications room in the hopes they’ll be able to contact Sam and ‘Berto.
Lila fires up the comm board and finds no traces of their missing friends, nor any signs that S.H.I.E.L.D. is still searching for them. Feral returns with the news that none of the other X-Forcers are around. Rictor can’t believe they’re not back, as the trip into Phoenix for supplies should’ve only taken a few hours. Feral replies, “I calls ‘em like I smells ‘em.”
Cheney, still eying the comm screen, draws Rictor’s attention towards several incoming bogeys on the radar screen. They rush out of the bunker where Feral and Shatterstar are able to spot the approaching objects. They take off with Shatty and Feral in the lead. The first pod crashes and Shatterstar is first to leap on top of it and slice open the hatch. What he and Rictor find inside surprises them.
It’s not an attack as they originally thought, but their friends Cannonball and Sunspot safely returned. The former New Mutants scramble out of the pod and quickly get to work trying to maintain the Professor’s programming. Professor thanks Sam for the attempt, but doesn’t think it’s feasible. As he says this, his words are intermixed with static.
Sam detaches the hard drive from the mainframe. Using his limited technological skill he attempts to find a way around the termination programming. Unfortunately, the Professor becomes more and more garbled. Sam begs him to stay online, as he’s their last link to Cable. Professor’s final words are an attempt at comfort as he tells young Guthrie he leaves him Cable’s legacy. The Professor cuts out and Sam pounds his fist against the monitor in frustration as he never seems to get any closer to discovering the purpose behind Cable and everything he’s done. Sunspot directs Cannonball’s attention skyward pointing out the incoming weapons depot and cargo bay terminal, everything Cable owned, which is now theirs.
Department K Headquarters, St. John’s, Newfoundland
General Clarke and Val Cooper stride down a hallway inside Department K HQ. The General returns a crisp salute as they pass by a fellow soldier. When the young Corporal passes General Clarke thumbs his nose back at him, very unbecoming of the high-ranking officer. Val elbows him and tells him to stop being an idiot.
The quarreling duo arrive at the Operations/Maintenance room, hook up a password decoder, and gain access inside. Once there, the image inducers fail and reveal the true forms of Domino and Grizzly. After some friendly bickering, Domino sits down in front of the computer terminal and radios to Hammer they made it inside. Hammer tells her to plug in the access codes he gave them and she obliges.
Domino gains access to the system only to find their information on Cable is buried deep. With time being of the essence Hammer tells Dom to download everything and they can sort through it later. Domino types in the commands and hits “Send.” A voice from behind catches her unaware. Domino and Grizzly turn around to find Weapon P.R.I.M.E. standing poised, ready to strike.
Boston, Massachusetts
Vanessa and Tina, garbed in the exact same outfit, looking like twins, take a ginger stroll by the local Cineplex. Tina asks how much longer Vanessa will be stuck looking like her. Vanessa explains she doesn’t know and then spots some pretty jewelry through a storefront window. They both cup their hands against the glass to get a better view. While questioning how difficult it would be to bypass the alarm of the rinky-dink store, Deadpool’s reflection fills the glass.
‘Pool takes a swing at their heads with an iron pipe. Copycat blocks the attack with her arm and kick swipes him to the ground. The girls take off running. Deadpool gets up calmly from the pavement, jazzed at the prospect of an entertaining night. As the girls continue their run, one of them is shot in the chest, the center of her back blown straight out. Sluggo, the man holding the smoking gun, hopes he didn’t accidentally shoot Vanessa.
Deadpool catches up to them and tells Sluggo it’s been a long time. Sluggo asks Deadpool if he heard about Tolliver and about the will. Deadpool mutters under his breath about all the loons being let out of the bin and then a bit louder tells Sluggo he’s an idiot if he got the wrong one and dead if he got the right one.
Camp Verde
Cable’s old weapons depots stand wide open, the young X-Forcers inspecting their new stockpile. Their latest find comes from a bunch of vehicles, including a jet very reminiscent to the old IPAC, three one-man skimmers that look like airborne Harleys and lastly, a ground assault tank. Rictor is very pleased with all that Cable has left them and wonders where Cannonball and Lila went.
Speak of the devil; Lila comes around geared up in her spacesuit asking everyone if they know where Sam is. Nobody does and her search leads her to a small hill, upon which Sam stands, seemingly contemplating all that’s happened recently. Lila tells Sam she’s ready to go. Sam asks if she’s sure. Lila tells Sam she doesn’t want to be hanging around now that she’s on the lam. Sam tells her not to worry about S.H.I.E.L.D. Lila agrees, explaining it’s her record company she’s hiding from. She adds that her last album lost them a lot of money.
Lila looks into Sam’s face and notes the sadness in his features. She points out Sam’s gotten exactly what he wanted and asks why he’s still sad. He cups her chin between his fingers and blatantly tells Lila he doesn’t know. Sam can’t believe that after everything this is all Cable has left them. Lila tells him to think about it, that in a way maybe it’s all he really asked for. With that, she teleports away.
Rictor spots Sam atop the hill and yells for him to get down and join them. Sam comes rushing over and asks what’s wrong, sensing the urgency in Ric’s voice. ‘Berto tells him they’ve received a message on the comm-array and it isn’t good.
Sam follows his teammates inside the bunker and stops short when he sees the visage of Saul on the screen. The message greets Sam and tells him there might be something within his genetic structure the Externals need. Gideon appears alongside Saul and tells him they have something X-Force needs too. The screen changes position and Warpath, Boomer and Siryn are shown trussed up and unable to move. Saul tells Sam to give himself up or his friends will die... most horribly.


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[Assistant]
Compromising Positions
St. Anthony’s Hospital, Portland, Maine
10:37pm
Feral, Rictor, Shatterstar and Sunspot stand facing the rear delivery service entrance to the hospital. Rictor asks if they’re ready before vibrating the pins out of the door. With the door removed, the foursome stealthily makes their way inside.
Ric in the lead, map in hand, they head down the hall to the third door on the right. Feral sniffs the door and determines their quarry is inside. Sunspot tells them to get ready as he places his hand on the doorknob. They bust through only to discover the person inside is in a full body cast and hooked to a bunch of machines.
Shatterstar cuts the wires with his swords and Sunspot lifts their target above his head. They make their way out of the hospital and into their jet. The ship takes off into the night sky, another X-Force mission completed successfully.
Rictor, arms crossed, stands in front of their kidnap victim and demands information. Shatterstar takes his sword and peels away at the casting around the face. The prisoner wants to know why he should help them. Shatterstar reminds him he’s at their mercy. ‘Star then asks for any information he has on the Externals. The detainee wants to know what he’ll get in return. Rictor tells him he’ll get to live and his heart’s desire, the Externals taken out one by one. Face now fully revealed, Crule says he’ll give them all the information they want and more.
Camp Verde
7:55pm
Cannonball calls Professor X through the video conferencing software. He asks the Prof for all the information he has on the Externals. Xavier explains he doesn’t know much about the immortal mutants, just rumors and hearsay. Xavier even admits he didn’t put much belief in it. Cannonball assures him they exist.
Xavier acknowledges Sam’s words and assures him the Externals now have his attention. Sam gets up from his chair and shouts at his old mentor that he can’t touch them, that he made a promise to the External called Gideon that he’d stay away from External affairs. The Professor points out they’ve kidnapped three of his friends. Sam asks if that’s worth breaking a promise, if that’ll make him just as bad as Gideon.
Xavier tells him the choice is his and it’s a difficult one. Sam weakly replies, “No kiddin’.” The Professor tells him to call again if he needs his help. He tells Sam he’s sure he’ll make the right decision. The transmission cuts out and Sam says, “Well, that makes one of us…”
Department K Headquarters
11:22pm
Everything hits the fan as Domino and Grizzly start blasting away at the five-man roster of Weapon P.R.I.M.E. Domino asks for a status report seeing as how Grizzly was a former member of the Canadian-based super team. Grizzly introduces Yeti, Double Trouble (twins with symbiotic plasma dischargers), the smiling guy he doesn’t know and Tigerstryke who wears an electromagnetic armor. Domino asks if they can take them. Grizzly isn’t sure.
Domino takes cover behind her teammate calling him a useless, beer-soaked bag of meat and reloads her guns. Realizing it’s only going to get worse, Domino contacts Hammer through the hands-free radio. Hammer starts searching through the building blueprints. Domino pressures him to hurry up. On one of the security cameras he’s hacked Hammer spots the so far unnamed Weapon P.R.I.M.E.er sneaking up Domino and tells her to duck. She does so and barely misses getting sliced open. Her assailant then introduces himself as Killjoy.
Killjoy makes contact with Grizzly, cutting him across the abdomen. Dom tells Grizz to keep Killjoy busy while she reaches into her pack. Domino pulls out a magnesium flare and shoves it in Killjoy’s face. She then receives a message from Hammer to go up two levels and she’ll find an A/C vent. She gives Grizzly the info and he blows a hole in the ceiling.
They head upwards with a rain of plasma hot on their tail. They make their way through the air-conditioning vent, which turns out to be a sewer run-off access duct. Grizz asks Domino if she remembers the operation in Cairo where she had to go through two miles of untreated raw sewage. When Domino says she does, Grizzly tells her she smells worse now.
They make their way outside and find Hammer and his van on standby. They get in and the van takes off. Tigerstryke blasts after them and almost nails them before the van sports wings and rocket engines and blasts off down the road. ‘Stryke can’t believe it, but promises P.R.I.M.E. will track them down and they’ll see what will happen then.
Saul’s residence, Oregon coastline
8:30pm
Gideon and Saul stand out on the balcony of Saul’s extravagant home, sipping tea while discussing whether or not X-Force will come to rescue their friends. Saul doesn’t believe they’d be dumb enough to try anything, but Gideon assures him they’re an arrogant and presumptuous lot. This leads Saul down memory lane and how in the past anyone who learned of the Externals’ existence would be killed or take their own life. He can’t believe how times have changed.
Gideon pours himself another cup and tells Saul only the obstacles have changed, that the goal remains the same. Saul repeats it as if by rote, “forever vying for political and monetary control over the destiny of this planet.”
This leads Gideon to ask how the death of Nicodemus plays into all this. Saul admits it changes several potentialities they envisioned, and he has no answer right now, which is why he wants to study the newest ascendant to their immortal ranks, Sam Guthrie.
Down below the two Externals, Boomer, Siryn and Warpath are chained to the rocky wall, beaten again and again by the waves. Saul adds that is why they’re using his friends as the bait to catch him.
Colorado Rocky skies
X-Force, in their new aircraft the Gainer, fly at full speed toward Saul’s residence. They discuss possible attack scenarios, a holographic display of Saul’s home emanating from the center console. They determine any type of sneak attack isn’t going to work with the high cliffs and all so Shatterstar opines a full-frontal assault. Sunspot agrees it would help prevent Gideon from duplicating their powers.
Crule gets all hot and heated with the discussion telling the young mutants to break Saul’s bones and rent his flesh asunder. Rictor jokes Crule’s one to talk while he’s in a full body cast. Shatterstar loses his temper and slices his sword through the holographic display. He says Crule is correct, they know who has their comrades and where so they need to come in fast and hard and leave a trail of destruction.
The being said, the Gainer comes in low, knocking trees every which way. It reminds Rictor of the old days when he and his cousin hot-wired cars in Guadalajara. Sunspot tells the team they’ll arrive at their destination in ten seconds. The Gainer crashes through the outer wall.
Gideon and Saul go diving for cover, totally caught off guard. Saul is surprised at the vehicle’s design, but has no time to reflect as he comes under direct attack from Rictor’s seismic powers. Sunspot blasts Gideon and he too falls to the ground. Feral leaps atop Saul, claws at the throat. Shatterstar kneels beside Gideon, sword dangling at the neck. Sunspot thanks Gideon for teaching him the art of the hostile takeover so well.
Norwell, Massachusetts, Tina’s place
Vanessa grabs as much as she can and stuffs it into a duffel bag. She can’t believe Sluggo killed Tina, as he used to love her. She also can’t believe she got Tina involved in all of it, with Tolliver and Deadpool and Cable. Tears begin streaming down her face.
A very large gun is placed against the back of her head. It’s Deadpool and Sluggo come to ruin the day. ‘Pool tells Copycat to make sure she packs the black bathing suit with the dolphins on them, his favorite. Vanessa pleads with them to stop. Deadpool reminds her it was Sluggo who killed Tina; he wouldn’t have wasted the ammo. In any case, he can’t kill her until they have a little talk.
Deadpool’s words are cut short, as well as his abdomen blown out, by a powerful laser burst. Sluggo takes a hit in the back too. A voice tells the “loser” that Copycat talks to her first. Vanessa looks up and proclaims, “You?!”
In front of her are Domino, Grizzly and the wheelchair bound Hammer. Domino, gun smoking, asks Copycat whose life she stole this time. No ones, she cries, and tries to defend what she did to Domino by blaming it on Tolliver.
Domino grabs ‘Nessa by the hair and yells at her she was held prisoner for over a year. She asks Copycat if she really didn’t have an opportunity to escape during all that time. She asks for one good reason why she shouldn’t blow her head off. Vanessa, thinking quickly, says she knows where X-Force is.
Saul’s Oregon Home
The two Externals still remain one carotid artery slice from bleeding out, in the meantime however, X-Force was able to fish out Warpath, Boomer and Siryn who now sit on one of the tables, wrapped up in blankets. The three wet mutants claim they’re fine, just angry. Sunspot tells them not to be too bothered, as they should never have expected the Externals to attack them at their home base.
Sunspot turns his attention towards his former mentor and asks if he is surprised they were able to exploit their weakness. Gideon smiles and says he was surprised Roberto survived the experiment they performed on him. He also adds this isn’t how he would have handled the situation. ‘Berto grits his teeth and says it’s how Cable taught Sam, hit hard, hit fast and smile while you’re doing it.
Gideon’s expression sours. Sunspot adds that if they want to test how their powers will react to the slitting of their throats he’s more than willing. Saul offers a stalemate. Rictor is infuriated and tells them no way, they’re making the choices. Gideon keeps his cool and reminds them of the promise they broke. Gideon scoffs at his disbelief that Xavier’s children would act like that.
Sunspot shoves a piece of paper in Gideon’s face. It reads,
“Dear Giddy,
I didn’t break my word. I said I would never interfere in External matters again, and I haven’t.
The others did.
I kept my promise. Back off now and I’ll let you keep your head.
Your pal,
Samuel
Guthrie”
Sunspot smiles as he stuffs the letter into Gideon’s front pocket. He tells Mr. Green ponytail they’re even and they never want to see them again. X-Force heads out to leave and Gideon goes to strike. Sunspot turns quickly and grabs him by the face. He pulls back his other arm as if to hit him and tells Gideon he’s yesterday’s news.
Sunspot gives one more lecture, that the day was not about winning or losing, but about getting their friends back, which is more important than any lesson Gideon ever taught him. Saul asks about Sam. He insists they need to study him or the Externals may all die. Shatterstar looks him square in the eye and tells him if they continue to harass them they’ll suffer that fate anyway.
After everybody loads up in the Gainer they take off. Gideon and Saul get to their feet and stand, watching as their last hope vanishes in a cloud of exhaust and kicked up dust.


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[Assistant]
Prisoners of Fate
Route 206N, near Sparta, NJ, 11:23pm EST
Along a windy road set in the mountains there lies an armored vehicle being driven by a VAULT security team. The soldier riding shotgun yells at the driver, Mickey, to stop. Mickey sees what he sees, a woman in tattered clothing straddling the middle of the road. Mickey slams on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a dead stop.
Mickey and his cohort step out of the truck and approach the woman. They explain they’re a security transport team and don’t have time to change a tire and offer to call for mechanical assistance. The woman, bathed in the glare of their headlights, tells them it’s much more than that. Mickey asks if there was an accident. His partner inquires if anyone was hurt. With a wicked smile the woman says “no”, but adds that someone will be.
She reaches for a device and holds it in front of them, arm outstretched. She activates this mechanism, an electro-magnetic scrambler, and both men’s suits pop and fizz as they become inoperable.
The woman rushes over to a group of men hiding nearby. She tells them everything’s gone perfect so far. The group’s leader is pleased and hopes their armor-piercing shells are strong enough to break through the transport doors.
With that, the men open fire. The vehicle sustains some minor damage. The leader yells at them to keep at it, pour it on. They bust through and quickly render the security team inside as inert as their friends outside on the ground. The leader steps inside the bay and explains to his quarry, Rusty Collins and Sally Blevins, that as members of Friends of Humanity they couldn’t sit around and watch as they went unpunished for their crimes against humanity, against the normal citizens of the land. He tells the former MLF members they will pay for their crimes against mankind.
Camp Verde, AZ, 9:12pm PST
Cannonball watches as the IPAC touches down in front of him. His team is returning from a mission from which they rescued three of their members from a menacing group of mutants known as the Externals, mutants who supposedly can’t die. Cannonball was unable to join them on the mission as a matter of honor, but nonetheless they achieved what they set out to do.
Boomer, Siryn and Warpath exit the IPAC and head over to Cannonball. He asks if they’re ok. They all agree they’re doing fine. Cannonball is happy to hear that because they have another mission that needs immediate attention. Feral grits her teeth, incredulous Cannonball has them going on another mission so soon. Cannonball tells her they have friends that need rescuing. Feral doubts they’re any friends of hers.
Sunspot asks who he’s talking about. Cannonball tells him it’s Rusty and Skids, and explains to the rest of them they were old teammates from when they were New Mutants. They don’t have much time to waste, Cannonball finishes, and orders them to get Crule out of the IPAC and into the Triage tent.
A look of guilt spreads across the faces of Rictor and a few others. Ric tells Cannonball they can’t exactly do that. Cannonball turns around, looking a bit angry and asks what he means by that. Rictor, Shatterstar and Sunspot explain he wouldn’t shut up and were worried he might recuperate and attack them and only did what seemed logical at the time. Cannonball yells at them to just spit it out. They explain since Crule’s fiberglass cast floats they dumped him in the Pacific Ocean.
Pacific Ocean
Speaking of Crule, the purple-skinned External lies face up on the ocean waters amidst the glow of the full moon.
Camp Verde
A bit later, Warpath, Siryn and Boomer are all costumed and ready to go. Boomer jokes a nice long bath would’ve been nice. Cannonball promises her some suds time after they’re done with this one. Quietly, Cannonball mutters he’s in charge of the loony-bin, still contemplating how they could have thrown Crule into the ocean.
As X-Force boards the IPAC Rictor asks for more details on Rusty and Skids’ kidnapping. Cannonball informs them about the Friends of Humanity, another mutant-hate group and how they stopped them via transport from the federal facility they were being held. Cannonball says these Friends of Humanity are intent on making an example out of them.
Sunspot argues Rusty and Skids were brainwashed by Stryfe and weren’t responsible for their actions, that a government team even proved that. Cannonball confirms Sunspot’s comments, but tells him it must be a desperate situation otherwise Charles Xavier would never have called them for help.
Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester, NY 12:32am, EST
Xavier is on a call with Valerie Cooper, government liason with X-Factor. She can’t believe Xavier contacted X-Force in regards to the Collins/Blevins situation. Charles looks up at her image on the monitor and says it was the most logical decision he could make. Val is obviously upset and says it was totally illogical to let X-Force go free in the first place.
Xavier reminds Val that after his appearance on Nightline a few weeks ago they agreed that if FOH should add terrorist activities to their repertoire they would have to be dealt with. He asks if she remembers this conversation they had.
Val looks away and admits that’s what they talked about. Xavier points out she can’t use X-Factor or it could look bad in the press. And with his X-Men all over the globe and nobody else knowing that Rusty and Skids were actually headed to him at the mansion X-Force was the only team he could turn to.
Charles assures Valerie X-Force will be able to pull this off provided her information was accurate. Val says she’s positive it is and reminds him they have a mole in the Friends’ organization. Val adds X-Force better strike quickly and efficiently to pull this thing off. Xavier tells her it’s what they do best.
The late Tina Valentino’s brownstone, Norwell, MA
“You said I could kill her!!” Domino yells as Grizzly holds her tightly in the crook of his arm. The person she’s staring at vehemently is Copycat, the mutant who took her identity and fought alongside X-Force. She wants Vanessa dead, but Hammer and Grizzly want to use her to locate X-Force. Hammer, sitting in his wheelchair next to Grizzly, offers amnesty to Copycat if she tells them where X-Force and/or Cable are.
Domino kicks and screams saying they can find them without her help. She will keep her promise to Cable to find the kids, but she doesn’t want Copycat’s help. Grizzly tells her to stop embarrassing them.
Copycat wants to know how they found her. Hammer explains her escapade with Deadpool went out on the Boston police scanner, which he received and used to lock onto her mutagenic signature, which he traced to Tina’s home. Grizzly adds that taking the place of Domino was quite a mistake and that she would’ve been better off killing her. Domino “grrrrr’s” in response.
Hammer turns his attention to the unconscious bodies of Deadpool and Sluggo lying on the carpet, smoke still rising from their backs where they were shot. Hammer thinks the police are going to be curious if they find their bodies in the house of the woman they killed earlier. Copycat says they’re not dead and grabs a gun out of Domino’s leg holster. This angers Domino even further and she curses Vanessa out. Copycat says they need to buy some time. She then lets loose on the two, blasting them a few times each.
Domino’s eyes go wide, shocked Vanessa would kill in cold blood. Copycat reminds her it was Grizzly who shot them in the first place. She assures Domino it’ll take a lot more firepower than that to actually kill them and she was just trying to buy them some time.
Copycat tosses Domino’s gun back to her and asks the three “idiots” if they’re still coming. Domino reluctantly agrees to follow her, but swears if she’s lying it’s the last thing she’ll ever do. They load onto a ship and blast off.
Space
The Sun appears over the horizon of Earth as it rotates along its orbit. A being just beyond the grip of Earth’s atmospheric pull flicks his finger and a pulse wave riding along the electromagnetic field finds the shattered remains of the orbital station once called Graymalkin. He brings it toward him and as it approaches, smiles, for he is back and has found a place to call home.
Midwest airspace, 11:54pm CST
X-Force, still aboard the IPAC, reviews a news broadcast sent over the airwaves a few hours ago. Trish Tilby recaps the FOH attack with video footage from the federal transport’s security camera. She identifies the abductees as Collins and Blevins and revisits their recent encounters with Freedom Force and as members of Stryfe’s MLF. Tilby adds there’ve been confirmed reports that Collins and Blevins were forced to act against their will while with the Mutant Liberation Front.
Sam clicks off the TV at this point and points out Tilby’s spin on the story paints a decent light on the two and shows the FOH to be the bad guys. Cannonball wonders that if people knew the real truth, that Rusty and Skids weren’t being charged with anything and were actually headed to Xavier’s, would they still be as forgiving.
Feral folds her arms across her chest and complains most people want to see them dead or in jail. She adds how Val Cooper thinks of them as outlaws. Feral thinks they should blow up some buildings and act like they’re really crazy. Boomer smiles as she elbows Feral in the shoulder and asks her what she means by “act.” This proves to be the final straw and Feral prepares to claw out Tabitha’s eyes. Cannonball intervenes, and sarcastically mutters to himself how X-Force is a bunch of professionals.
Immediately after, Cannonball reports they’re approaching Plum Island. Sam gives the group one last brief, explaining they can’t use too much force or they’ll be portrayed poorly in the media and will only help the FOH cause.
Shatterstar comments that such manipulation of the media in his homeworld would be commended. Warpath grimaces, adding that it’s not so fun if you’re on the side getting slammed. He tells Shatterstar, who’s polishing his swords, to remind him later to discuss how much fun it was watching John Wayne movies growing up as a kid. Cannonball says he’ll fill Warpath in on one of his “favorite” shows, Hee-Haw.
With everything settled and the IPAC landed, X-Force rolls out. Upon entering the forest they regroup and Cannonball breaks them up into two attack groups for the “perimeter pinch”: Rictor with Shatterstar, Feral and Warpath and he with Boomer Bobby and Siryn. Cannonball tells them he wants it so quiet they can hear their heartbeats. He then wishes them luck
As Rictor and his team head off he and Feral remark on the new attitude of Cannonball. Feral comments they’ve lost one Cable for another.
The other squad faces some friction too as Siryn isn’t pleased she was passed over to lead the other unit. She tells Sam that if she’s good enough to be on the mission then she’s good enough to lead the second unit. Cannonball apologizes and explains it’s easier for him to turn to Ric and Bobby. Siryn tells him that if Cable had no problem turning to her then neither should he.
Cannonball understands her point, but they’ve reached the FOH safehouse and will have to table the discussion for the moment. Sam contacts unit two that they’re closing in. Sam notes the lights on inside, and is disappointed, hoping they’d all be asleep. Sunspot guesses they have guards on Rusty and Skids 24-7.
Cannonball tells unit two to move on his mark. Ric says they’re ready and asks why they’re always unit two and not them. Cannonball says according to Boomer it’s because they’re better looking. “Now move it!” he finishes.
Both sides of the safehouse are penetrated simultaneously. There are three armed men on the lower level guarding Rusty and Skids who are trussed up and suspended from the ceiling. The guards don’t stand a chance, all three taken down by Siryn’s scream and Boomer’s timebombs.
Cannonball orders Warpath and Shatterstar upstairs and Boomer and Feral downstairs to secure the building. They depart eager for more action. Sunspot looks up at his former teammates and jokingly asks how things are hanging. Skids calls him a “pathetic puppet of the sycophant harmony dream!!”
Moments later, Shatterstar and Warpath head back down the stairs, Warpath carrying at least six unconscious men on his back. Warpath asks if Skids has stopped complaining yet. Shatterstar adds that the ease of the operation and the lack of friendliness shown by those they’ve rescued make him almost regret participating in the mission at all.
The complaining is interrupted as a couple of FOH bodies come crashing through the wall. Boomer and Feral step out from the newly formed hole and announce the kitchen is secured.
Shatterstar continues his rant earlier saying how embarrassing the whole thing was. Warpath asks him what he expected, after all their enemies were only human. Cannonball tries to break the mood by ordering the team out of there. Rictor and Sunspot gather up Rusty and Skids who keep spouting their rhetoric about Stryfe and the cleansing of the world by fire and how mutants must rule. Sunspot sarcastically says “Well, we got what we came for.” Boomer wonders, with both of them such headcases, if it was worth it.
Cannonball picks up one of the FOH pamphlets littering the floor. A picture of Graydon Creed adorns the top and it reads:
“If you are Human. Then you are one of us!
THE FRIENDS OF HUMANITY
Welcome all beings of like
genetic descent, regardless of
race, creed or color.
Why allow yourself to become
made obsolete by the ever-
increasing threats of MUTANTS?
FIGHT BACK!
FRIENDS WANT YOU!!
555-LIFE”
Sam reads the pamphlet and it tears him apart to think about the hatred humans have for them. If they hate mutants it makes it easier for mutants to hate them. And since mutants can knock down buildings, burn the skies red, spit plasma and scream like thunder it makes it easier for humans to fear them. It bothers him so much that no one really sees the truth, that they’re all just people trying to live life each day.
Boomer wraps her arms around Cannonball’s. She points out they try to make both sides see the truth and guesses it’s all worth it if they can make any kind of difference. Cannonball questions if they’re making it better or making it worse. He wonders if there’s any way for them to really live peacefully with each other. Boomer has no real answer for him, but says they better because it’s not like there’s anywhere else to go. Cannonball agrees, but wonders what will happen if they really can’t make it work. “Where do we go from here?” here asks.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Back To Front
In the Arizona wastes rests Camp Verde, what used to be an Indian reservation where Warpath’s tribe members were murdered by an, as yet, unsolved person or persons. Now, though, X-Force calls the place home. After their Interpersonnel Assault Carrier (IPAC) lands, they step from the Hanger doors and wonder why, every time they come back to this place, it still does not feel like home. Feral, always on alert, sniff’s an unknown presence in the air and alerts the rest of the team of a possible intruder in their base. Exhausted, Cannonball splits the teams up, sending them in four parties of twos to different locations around the base and tells them all to meet back at the Comm-Room.
Cannonball and Boomer find the living quarters empty, but Cannonball is disturbed to find a schematic design he had been working on, finished and remade to be a better plan for a base of operations then he could even think of.
Fifty meters away from where Cannonball is, in a tunnel leading to the vehicle storage and maintenance bunker, Siryn and Warpath are making their way down the corridor. Warpath complains to Siryn about how loud her sonic scream is, but he is shocked when Siryn collapses to the floor with no explanation. Not long after, though, Warpath is shot in the back with a laser gun, which causes him to collapse to the floor also.
Two hundred meters northeast of where Siryn and Warpath were ambushed, in the medi-lab, Sunspot and Rictor are back to back in defense against whatever they heard take the other two members out farther down the hallway. Both members decide that it would be better to find Warpath and Siryn, but their plans are cut short when a shadowy figure walks into the room and fires a gas bomb at the two would-be heroes, knocking them both to the floor and making them become unconscious.
Fifty-five meters southwest of the garage, Shatterstar asks Feral if she has picked up the intruder’s scent yet?  Shatterstar next tries to flirt with Feral a little, but their conversation is cut short by a magnesium burst that strikes both of them, temporarily blinding both members. Their shadowy attacker gloats, remarking that, since he trained them, they should not think he would want to attack them head on.
As the stranger gloats over the two X-Force member’s bodies, he says that it is now time to find Cannonball. Though the stranger does not have to wait long because Boomer sends a bomb into the strangers back, knocking him to the floor. Cannonball comes in and throws the stranger through the wall of guns, near where the stranger was standing. Cannonball asks the stranger to step into the light so they could see whom they are up against. When he does, though, their shock is extreme, because they find that the stranger has been none other than Cable all along, testing them. Cable walks from the gun rack, ragging on Cannonball and telling him how he should know better than to throw him into the number one thing that he could use against Cannonball ; the weapons rack.
Boomer then excitedly rushes to Cable and hugs him, telling him how happy is that he is still alive. Cable, shocked by Boomer’s affection, does not notice Cannonball preparing to punch Cable with his kinetic field. Instead, though, Cannonball just warns Cable that Boomer was distracting him and they both would have taken Cable out with that ploy. Impressed, Cable compliments Cannonball on his attitude as Feral welcomes Cable back. She asks Cable why he smells differently?  He responds that it is because he is different, because “each battle should change a man.” Shatterstar comes up next and humbly falls to one knee, praising Cable as a “respected warrior,” coming back from a battle who was thought so recently “canceled”.
Rictor and Sunspot walk in as Shatterstar is talking and tell the rest of the team that they need to speak for themselves, because they both consider Cable still a murderer. Rictor blames Cable for killing his father but Cable is able to explain to Rictor and Sunspot that his recent events, being tossed in the time stream, have shown him that Stryfe had killed Rictor’s father and Gideon the External had killed Sunspot’s dad. With that explanation still sinking in to the two members, Cable explains to Cannonball that the time stream trip also taught him that he needed X-Force, not as an accomplishment to his goals, but to help make a difference in his personal life, as well.
Cannonball tries to reject Cable by telling him that maybe X-Force does not need Cable anymore. Understanding, Cable asks Cannonball if his recent role as leader has taken a toll on him and if he has had to distance himself from his friends in order to lead the team. Cannonball agrees that he has and both caringly hug, after which Cable apologizes for treating Cannonball so wrong. Warpath enters the room with Siryn next and takes up for Cable, telling them that after Cable helped him move on after he had seen his entire reservation murdered, he passionately believes in Cable. After that is said, Cannonball, happily, sticks out his hand and grasps Cable’s, shaking it, and tells him that it is good to have him back on the team.
Later in the day, Rictor sits with Shatterstar, Warpath, and Feral outside of the base waiting for the other five members of the team to finish their conversations inside of the base. Rictor gets extremely impatient and blasts a patch of cacti, complaining about how they have waited two hours for them to finish their conversation and that he should be in their meeting also. Rictor blasts the rock that Shatterstar is on after Shatterstar had almost finished his little taunt about how Rictor wants to be the leader. After Shatterstar threatens to temporarily hurt Rictor’s larynx to get him to quiet down though, Rictor does not say another word to him.
Inside the medical triage bunker, Cable looks through a microscope to see the implants that Rusty and Skids have been implanted with, which cause the two of them to follow any order Stryfe gives to them. Cable informs the team that he saw the implants before because Stryfe planted his own son Tyler with the same kind of implant. Cable also informs the team that no equipment that is on Earth can remove the implants, but if they could get to the Professor on Graymalkin he could get the Professor to remove the implants for him.
 Siryn asks Cannonball if they could use the IPAC to go orbital and he informs her that they could, but only after they figure out for themselves if Cable is telling the truth. Surprisingly, Cable explains to the team about how his real name is Nathan Dayspring and that he was sent to the future with a woman named Askani. Cable also explains to Cannonball more tidbits of his past, which in turn helps Cannonball relax a little better and trust Cable more. As Sunspot asks if Cable knows what will happen next, the perimeter alarm sounds and Cable tells Sunspot that the only thing he knows is that right now someone is fixing to be “spitting teeth on the desert sand”. The five then run from the medical room to find the rest of the X-Force team.
Rictor and the rest of the team outside are the first to make it to the intruder, who introduces himself as Exodus, an emissary of his Lord, “the maker of the magnetic storm”. Exodus tells the present members of X-Force that he is only after Cannonball and Sunspot, the first members of Xavier’s New Mutant team. Sensing hostility from the present members, Exodus sends a kinetic wave knocking all the members down. However, even Exodus is surprised to find that Warpath still is standing after the rest of the members fell down. As Exodus prepares another blast to take Warpath down, Siryn comes in and attacks Exodus with her sonic scream, giving the rest of the team time enough to catch up with her. Though her efforts were in vain, because Exodus uses his telekinesis to hold all the X-Force members on the ground as he tries to talk Cannonball and Sunspot into joining him and his master in, what Exodus calls, “Heaven”.
Cannonball agrees to go with Exodus, though only if Boomer and Rictor can join him and Sunspot. Exodus argues for a moment but then agrees in order to get Cannonball to go with him. As an afterthought, Cannonball asks for Rusty and Skids to be taken with them also. Exodus, extremely antagonized, agrees to the rest of Cannonballs terms and, as Cable begins to protest, Cannonball assuringly touches Cables shoulder. He tells Cable that he knows what he is doing and that maybe the X-Force team should go to a better place then where they are now. Exodus next tells the Heaven bound X-Force members that Heaven awaits those who pray. With that said, Exodus creates a whirlwind that sucks the members chosen for heaven into the atmosphere and up upwards.
Shatterstar, shocked by the events that have just transpired, tells Cable that he never thought Cannonball would betray them so easily. Warpath notices, though, that Cable knew what was going on and Cable explains that when Cannonball had toughed his shoulder he had placed a comm-link tracer on Cable, to let them know where the team chosen for heaven was taken. Shatterstar proclaims that he never thought Cannonball had such great battle tactics and Cable agrees, saying he had not noticed Cannonball’s recent maturity in thinking either. Siryn, while the team heads for the IPAC, comments that Cannonball seems to be becoming more like what all of his teacher’s have taught him to be, a leader.
In “Heaven,” Cannonball’s team arrives on a space station and taunts Exodus about how that each one of them are not impressed, because all of them have seen the same things that Exodus tries to impress them with, many times before. Exodus, at that time, brings the team into a room that he asks if they recognize. Exodus tells Cannonball that the team, should have, as he has already seen this station twice before, the first time when it was Cable’s ship known as Graymalkin and the second time now that it is called “Avalon”. Cannonball, worriedly remembers the Professor, the sentient program that once ran Graymalkin, and calls for the Professor to answer. Exodus laughs and tells Cannonball that the Professor will not answer because it has been reprogrammed.
With that said, a hooded figure walks in, proclaiming that every action that he himself does is not to hurt, but to help mutant kind. The team recognizes immediately who the hooded figure is as Magneto. As they stare shocked at his apparent return from death, Magneto calmly walks over to Rusty and Skids and, very religious-like, touches their heads. He changes the blood flow in their brain so as to destroy the devices that Stryfe planted inside of them to keep them under his control. Immediately, Skids and Rusty come to their senses and do not know where they are or what they have done while under the MLF’s control. Magneto then welcomes and asks them to join him in his new home called Avalon.
Cable and his team of X-Force are in the IPAC headed through space after Cannonball’s signal. Feral complains about being in space and Cable asks her to stop her “hissing”. Warpath is standing behind Cable, who is trying to find the coordinates of the signal. Cable, without saying a word to the others, realizes where the other team is and he tries to pull the coordinates up on the monitor. When he does, the rest of the team recognizes what Cable is thinking. As Cable puts a high-powered signal out to the object they are headed for, he causes the station’s cloaking field to disengage revealing to the now distraught team that Avalon is none other than Cable’s ex-station, Graymalkin. Cable, ticked off, explains to Siryn, who is trying to calm him down, that Graymalkin is all he has left of his past and their future and it is the only reminder of where he came from. Siryn calmly tells Cable that now he has X-Force and the teachings that he has shown them about preparing for a better future matter more than material things should. She then asks Cable if they are just going to sit around and stew or are they going in to save their fellow team members? Cable, pushing in the throttle, tells Siryn that they will go in and save their friends because, “Heaven also awaits those who prey”!
In the area of Avalon where Magneto and Cannonball’s team discuss Magneto’s offer, the intruder alarm sounds and Exodus teleports away to find the intruders and stop them. After Exodus leaves, Cannonball tells Magneto that he was the one to lead Cable and the rest X-Force to the station. Magneto, smiling at Cannonball, tells him how surprised he is that Cannonball has become such a great leader. Cannonball replies that he owes some of his leadership skills to the teachings of Magneto himself. Magneto asks the team if they still believe in Xavier’s dream or do they believe differently. Which, he claims that since they have left Xavier their independence proves that they do not follow Xavier’s dream. With that said, he then asks them if they will follow Cable’s dream or his own, because Cable’s dream will fail but his will not.
Cable’s team has made it through to a terminal where Cable tries to link up with it using his own personal computer system on his arm. He explains to the team that he is overriding the bodyslide technology to allow Cannonball’s team to be teleported to their location and then he is going to program Graymalkin to self-destruct. Exodus appears and tries to take out Cable, but Cable fires back with one of his guns giving Shatterstar and Feral enough time to ferociously attack Exodus. Exodus, calling the two members animals and tells them how he wants to send them back to the “hell” which earth has now become. He knocks the X-Force members away from him, but he does not notice Siryn who sonically screams and knocks the ceiling onto Exodus’ head. Warpath, following Siryn’s orders, runs in, commenting on how he hates hitting Exodus because he does look “Indian”. In the end, it does not matter though, because if he tries to hurt even one of his friends he deserves to have his glass jaw broken. Cable, who all along was still trying to override the bodyslide technology, finally does so and teleports Cannonball’s team and his own team to a safer location.
The two teams meet and Cable tells Cannonball that he needs to get X-Force to the IPAC, but Cannonball asks what Cable is going to do. Cable, in turn, tells Cannonball that he is going to save the Professor’s programming, then blow up Graymalkin. Surprisingly, Cannonball tells Cable, “No!”  Cable, who is shocked, asks Cannonball why he said, “No?”  Cable, still distraught, informs Cannonball that Graymalkin is lost to him and asks Cannonball if he knows who is responsible, because Cable knows and he does not want Magneto playing “Mad God” with the Earth. Cannonball passionately talks about when they gained their independence from Xavier and how they used the same argument Magneto uses against them. So, Cannonball asks, why should Magneto not deserve the same chance as they got? He saved Rusty and Skids and those two have decided to stay with Magneto on Avalon. Cable realizes Cannonballs logic and cancels the bodyslide of eight and asks the computer to bodyslide the rest of X-Force, besides himself, to the IPAC and take them back to Earth. Cannonball screams for Cable to follow them and Cable tells them he will not leave without the Professor. The team is transported away leaving their mentor behind to fight for himself.
Exodus watches the IPAC leaving but he senses that Cable is still onboard and comes to the conclusion that Cable is seeking out the Professor, to save what Exodus calls Cable’s mechanical soul.
In Graymalkin’s central core, Cable thinks of how so many years ago the Professor saved his own life and how ironic it is for him to be risking his life for a machine. As Cable opens his arm terminal and sticks his arm through a hole in the wall, he asks the computer to download the Professor into his arm terminal. As the Professor enters the arm of Cable he hears the thoughts of Cable and asks if he should thank Cable for saving him or chide him for his insults? Magneto walks in with full armor as Cable finishes telling the Professor of his plan’s to blow Graymalkin up. Magneto tells Cable that he has been gracious in allowing Cable to take the Professor, but if he tries anything else he will be forced to kill him.
Cable taunts Magneto, saying how that he has seen him fail so many times that he is doomed to fail again and that Cannonball would have never joined his cause. Magneto asks Cable if he thinks he offers a better path and Cable attacks Magneto, telling him how that they have not joined his cause, but, instead, he has joined theirs. Magneto explains, while they fight, that he once had the New Mutants to mold as he saw fit and gave that up. He asks Cable why would he be so stupid to give all that up by allowing Magneto to kill him? With that, Magneto rips apart Cable’s mechanical parts and Cable falls to the ground, unable to move. Still alive though, Cable has enough energy to ask the Professor to bodyslide him from Avalon to the IPAC, which it does.
Meanwhile on the IPAC, X-Force is shocked and horrified to see what remains of Cable after him teleporting in front of them. Sunspot asks the Professor if Cable is still alive which he replies that he is and Sunspot tells Cable that he is proud of him for returning with his heart and soul and having the ability to leave his material possessions behind.
On the space station Avalon, Magneto sits in his chair with Rusty and Skids behind him. Exodus exclaims to Magneto that Cable was not really that great of a challenge and Magneto disputes the claim, saying that Cable was, because Cable did win the battle. Magneto, his face shadowed by his helmet, angrily says that it is now time to forget about Cable and X-Force and focus on trying to get Xavier’s own brood to come to Avalon.  As for Cable and his X-Force unit, he says, there is always tomorrow, isn’t there?


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Shadows on the Rock
It's been nearly a week since X-Force's encounter with Magneto on Avalon. Cable lies unconscious on a medical table in their Camp Verde base, surrounded by various machinery and vital monitors. The medical computer notes he has undergone an extremely intensive physical and mechanical regeneration process for the last 83 hours, but still remains in critical condition.
The rest of X-Force surrounds his prone form, nervously watching his slow recovery. Feral butchers the solemn mood by quipping, "Does anyone know if he came with a warranty?" Sunspot counters that even he finds that cold, and he doesn't like Cable much. Feral, while sniffing and poking Cable's exposed arm (a mess of wire and machinery), explains she's just creeped out -- she's always hated the smell of hospitals, and this is even worse -- it smells like mixing "a dentist's office with a Midas muffler shop."
Warpath smacks Feral across the cheek and tells her to cut it out, to stop pretending she doesn't care about Cable. Cannonball intervenes and tells them both to cut it out. He then notes that it's hard to believe just how much of Cable's body is inorganic, and that it makes how hard he tries to be human even more impressive. Siryn agrees, and ponders how much Cable lived through to lose so much of his body in the wars he fought. Did it happen all at once, or was he picked apart little by little?
James says they're better off not thinking about it; that they need to concentrate on Cable living and healing, not his pain and dying. He continues: "Haven't we picked apart the pain of our own lives long enough?" Sam agrees, saying that Cable's fight for life should serve as inspiration for them, not defeat -- and that, corny as it sounds, Cable would want it that way.
Feral interrupts the noble rambling with "Whatever. Can we, like, put in a Slurpee dispenser in here or sumthin' cool like that?" This being the last straw, Sam, Theresa and James are about to put Feral in her place when Cable's mechanical arm rises, fist clenched, and he weakly says "It's-- all-- right... what-- flavor-- would-- you-- like...?"
Three days later:
Cable notes that it's been three days since he woke up. A voice within his mind corrects him: Three days, seven hours. Cable continues unfazed, adding that the Professor, the sentient computer program which had run the systems on Graymalkin, hasn't shut up yet. The Professor defensively notes that it's been a while since he was directly incorporated into Cable's neural network.
Sam interrupts their mental bickering by informing Cable that he and Bobby are ready to go. They're flying to Madripoor to deliver Xi'an Coy Manh, their former teammate, the news of Illyana Rasputin's death. Sam would prefer the entire team go, but Cable thinks it's better that only Sam and Bobby represent X-Force -- after all, they're the only members of X-Force who were actually part of the original New Mutants. Sam disagrees, but promptly leaves anyway, telling a computer to "prep the plane." Cable notes that Sam is upset. Sam cared for Illyana Rasputin, and her death has hit him hard. "When your peers pass on before you," thinks Cable, "it's just another sign you're growing older." "Funny," he continues. He's "seen so many come and go, young and old alike, that sometimes he forgets-- even one small death can have giant implications."
Meanwhile, in their rooms, Sam and Bobby pack for the trip. Sam is astonished by the amount of luggage Bobby is bringing, considering they'll only be gone a few days. Boomer quips that Bobby "packs like a girl!" Sam implores Tabitha to come along, but she retorts that she'd rather not go to some country she's never heard of to meet some old girlfriend of Sam's. Sam points out that Xi'an is not his old girlfriend.
Sam continues: He thinks Tabitha doesn't want to go because she always tries to avoid death. He asks her: if he died tomorrow, would she come to his funeral? Tabitha retorts that that's a stupid question -- Sam's not going to die, he's an immortal External, who's going to outlive them all... and watch her and the rest of the team grow old and drop dead around him. Sam, rather ignoring her most recent point, proposes a deal to her: he'll never die, and she never has to come to his funeral. He gently cradles her chin and leans in close to her as she says "Deal," but quickly backs away, awkward about his feelings and stumblingly explains he has to go.
As Sam leaves, Rictor notes it's "kind of strange, huh?" When Tabitha asks him what's kind of strange, Rictor elaborates: "Oh, a little girl like Illyana dyin', while Sam's gonna live forever." It must, he continues, weird Sam out and make it difficult for him to deal with the rest of his teammates. Tabitha quickly insists that Sam hasn't changed a bit since he learned he was immortal -- that, if anything, it's made him care more about them, about life and about how important they all are to him. "Really--?" begins Rictor, before Tabitha continues her monologue, explaining Sam thinks of them the same way he always did--
But she's interrupted by Rictor, asking "Then why couldn't he do... THIS!", grabbing Tabitha, and kissing her full on the mouth. She pulls away and tells him to cut it out. Rictor simply points out that she used to want him to do that. Tabitha explains that's not true now -- she's sorry, but she loves Sam. "Sure thing, mijita..." replies Rictor, as Tabitha storms away, "...but does he love YOU?"
Outside, Sam and Bobby's shuttlecraft rises into the sunset desert sky. Cable stands on a bluff and watches the team from a distance, noting how they much they remind him of his own youth... and wondering what kind of existence that is for them. Meanwhile, Rictor walks past Feral, who's picking at some broken chain-link fencing. "What's new, pussycat?" he asks, to which Feral distractedly replies "Nuthin'." Following her line of sight, Rictor sees what she's ogling: Shatterstar is leaping around on a makeshift balance beam, constructed from a wooden plank and two rocks that share a phenomenally convenient height similarity, performing gymnastic flips in one of his constant combat-training exercises.
Cable thinks that Shatterstar is, of the team, the most and least like Cable was in his youth. The most, in that Shatterstar is "driven by an obsessive compulsion to perfect himself in the arts of war-- all the while building the perfect body at the expense of heart and soul." The least, though, in that Cable fought for a cause, and Shatterstar doesn't. Cable wonders: when you end up looking back on your life, what good is the perfect body if the soul is scarred?
Meanwhile, Rictor tells Feral that if she wants something, she should go for it. Continuing to drool over Shatterstar, Feral mumbles she "don't want nuthin'. Leave her alone." Across the clearing, Shatterstar's workout is interrupted by clapping, prompting him to mutter "Fekt," presumably at the prospect of being annoyed. The clapping comes from Siryn, who is completely drunk and presenting Shatterstar with a beer from the remnants of a six-pack that she's dangling out, telling him he looks "absholutely adorable" and asking him if he's "thirsty now?"
While Cable wonders what the point is of having perfect fighting machines if they're all hollow and empty inside, Theresa presses herself against Shatterstar and hits on him. His only response is to point out that her words are slightly slurred and ask the mind-blowing naïve question, "Is this a result of that liquid she is consuming?" "Yup," explains Theresa, it's called "fun" -- does he want one or five? Shatterstar disdainfully explains he finds its results decidedly unpleasant, and, as he walks away, irritated, recommends that she attempt to pursue such activities with someone who might be more receptive.
Cable wonders what demons have driven Theresa to stay with X-Force. He then immediately answers his own rhetoric: a demon called the Shadow King, who forced her to see parts of herself that no one should be forced to see. As Theresa throws a beer into the air and destroys it with her sonic scream, Cable wonders why she's trying so hard to see these things inside her again?
Approaching her, Cable notes that that was a sonic scream -- and wants to know if the two of them can talk. Theresa asks him why talk when better, wordless things can be done -- and proceeds to grab Cable and kiss him. "Not bad ... for an old man..." she mumbles. The Professor notes her blood-alcohol level is 1.6 percent as James approaches, carrying a large piece of machinery on his shoulder, and curious if he's "interrupting anything." As Theresa laughs and falls on her butt, Cable announces that he thinks she's drunk.
"I know," says James, explaining she does that a lot, and that the rest of the team doesn't know. Cable knows how James feels about her and wants to know why he lets her do it to herself. James explains he's afraid Theresa will reject him completely if he tries to confront her about it, and that this way, he's at least able to help her a little bit-- better than not at all, should she cut people off completely.
James carries Theresa to her bunk bed, while Cable notes how alone James is... how James internalized all the pain and grief of having his entire people slaughtered. Will that loneliness and anger ever be released? What would be worse, letting it destroy him from the inside out, or unleashing his feelings? Cable ponders these thoughts and notes that it's no wonder James fell for Theresa -- they come from the same place, and they're going in the same direction: straight down. While James examines a photo of a toddler Theresa and her uncle, Tom Cassidy, the Professor interjects: couldn't Cable see this development earlier? Cable admits he's been blind-- no, worse, ignorant. He did see it all coming; in fact, in many ways he caused much of what's happened.
He recruited them on purpose: they were confused, emotionally scarred, wounded -- and thus perfect material for forging into a hard, ruthless fighting unit. He ignored their needs, their desires and their dreams, just like he ignored his own. The Professor elaborates: Cable strove to make X-Force like himself, even though he knew it would make them miserable. Cable sputters at this observation -- he's not sure what he wanted -- but he knows it's time to stop what he set in motion.
Meanwhile again, James has moved into the craggy vistas outside the base, sitting cross-legged, headphones-on, observing the picture he picked up in Theresa's room. Shatterstar finds him and questions why James continues to make himself miserable for Theresa's sake. James is surprised someone noticed. And, he doesn't know -- he assumes it's because all he really knows is unhappiness, and that it's the only thing that can make him... well, happy. He asks Shatterstar if it's the same for him. Shatterstar explains he never gave it much thought, and James asks what Shatterstar does give thought to. Things he can control, explains Shatterstar, like his body, his strength and his skills. James contends that if all Shatterstar has is himself, then, really, he doesn't have much at all. Shatterstar ends their debate by pointing out that it's better than wanting more than you can have, and having nothing as a result.
Shatterstar proceeds to enter the base and approach Rictor, who's watching cartoons on the large TV screen. He takes Rictor's unguarded remote and proceeds to change the channel... over and over again at an infuriatingly rapid pace, causing Rictor to slowly become enraged. During this, Cable notes to himself that Shatterstar couldn't really be accused of walling-off his emotions, since he likely never had any to begin with. The Professor contributes that they have almost no knowledge of Shatterstar's childhood or homeworld. Cable notes, however, that Shatterstar's aloof qualities don't prevent him from trying to draw attention to himself -- a fact readily demonstrated when Rictor finally snaps at Shatterstar for his inconsiderate actions regarding the remote control. Shatterstar, bemused, merely asks why anyone would watch one station when they can watch them ALL?
"Uno de estos dias... lo voy a matar!" grumbles Rictor, storming off. Shatterstar is genuinely confused as to why his friend is angry. As he exits the room, Rictor bumps into Cable, who is entering, and is less than thrilled, announcing it's a "two-for-one sale at Rictor's Little Shop of Horrors!" Cable, annoyed, insists once more to Rictor, calling him by his real name, Julio, that he did not kill his father. Rictor shoots back that he believes Cable -- but that doesn't mean there aren't a ton of other reasons to hate Cable's guts. And, he adds, as he exits, never call him Julio again - only his mother could do that.
Cable thinks to himself sardonically how great it is that the one X-Forcer whose problems aren't Cable's fault has to be Rictor -- the one who'll find a reason to hate him anyway. Yet, Cable is forced to admit, he's glad Rictor's back. He proceeds forward to the rec room, where Shatterstar is furiously flipping channels. Cable notes that the blur of images flashing across the television reminds him of his entire life, a ride on the timestream stopping here and there, knowing who people are but never getting to know anything about them. He thinks to himself: it has to stop, he has to put the brakes on... but can he do it? Can he be a soldier, a teacher, a father and a friend? Xavier couldn't, Magneto couldn't, and he doubts if he can, either.
"But," thinks Cable, as he approaches the TV controls, setting it to automatically change the channel every 3 seconds, just as Shatterstar likes it, "one thing I do know ... I know that I can start to try..."
The Whitman Maximum Security Federal Penitentiary, just outside Roanaoke, Virginia:
Guards are standing watch outside as clouds suddenly gather in the sky. A crackling noise fills the air above them, and one questions if it's thunder. The other guard notes that the weatherman didn't mention anything about thunder.
It begins to rain, turning the guard's mood even fouler at the unexpected inclement weather. But something's wrong with the rain: it burns what it touches and soon the guards are screaming in agony. Crackles of energy rain down from the sky, scattering everywhere across the prison grounds and incinerating or electrocuting guards left and right. A watchtower announces that the prison is under attack -- call a red alert! -- before it's exploded by the storm of energy.
Meanwhile, inside the prison, the guards are scrambling to move out and deal with the assault. Cries of "What's going on?" and "It's an attack!" ring through the halls of stone and steel amid alarm klaxons. Someone notes: "Clamp down on the super-human wing!!", where Forearm, Tempo, Reaper and Wildside are chained to the wall in cumbersome hi-tech manacles. A strange blue fire is burning up the mortar between the bricks of the chamber's walls.
"Why bother?" asks a voice, "We shipped just about everyone we had to the Vault last week." The other voice explains there's still a few in there -- "Just a buncha punk kid muties." "The ones from the MLF?" asks the other, "You think this is a Gee-Cee jailbreak?"
Suddenly, the wall explodes and, whilst the assault of energy still rips apart the prison elsewhere, the same energy breaks the prisoner's manacles. Forearm wants to know what's going on, who is doing this -- to which a voice crackling with energy addresses each ex-MLF member, one by one, with some very insightful observations:
"Michael McCain - known as Forearm -- your enormity of strength is matched only by your propensity for hooking up with the wrong people."
"Heather Tucker -- called Tempo -- your ability to warp time to suit your needs has not helped keep you from doing time, has it?"
"Pantu Hurageb -- the Reaper -- whose neural paralyzing scythe has most certainly reaped what you have sown."
"And finally, Richard Gill - Wildside -- whose inclination towards acts of savage lunacy are so very contradictory to your oh-so-proper upbringing."
Wildside then notes that this mystery figure has them psychoanalyzed pretty well... now when is he gonna tell them who the $%#@ he is?
Floating ominously in the sky above, eyes burning with energy, the figure announces he is the storm on the horizon -- the sweltering tempest waiting to erupt -- he is REIGNFIRE, and these four are going to become a part of his new Mutant Liberation Front! One of the four can only, rather anticlimactically, inquire, "That old gig again? That party was a bust the first time around."
Reignfire explains that his goals are very different than those of the previous MLF leader, Stryfe; that they will all work together toward mutually desirable goals and that they will be his soldiers, his front line against the humans who have oppressed mutants for so long. Forearm can only ask, "And we get--?", to which Reignfire replies they get to "become powerful and wealthy beyond their dreams!"
He then announces that this new MLF will prove they mean business, and the way they're going to do that... is by finding Henry Peter Gyrich, director of Project: Wideawake (the U.S. government's in-development mutant-eliminating program) -- and flaying him alive!