The Final Chapter
Cable, Bishop and Wolverine are surrounded by over a hundred armed men and The Dark Riders. For these three hard-bitten men of war, words are unnecessary. They know they are outnumbered and overwhelmed. But they know, too, they are the best at what they do.
The armored soldiers of The Mutant Liberation Front react far too slowly, as do the gene-spawns of Apocalypse, The Dark Riders, who now serve a new master, the madman ripped through time who engineered this titanic battle...Stryfe.
One moment's uncertainty is all these star-crossed soldiers of fortune need to press their attack. Cable and Bishop blast away at the massed enemy, while Wolverine leaps in their midst and slashes left and right, leaving dead men in his wake. The three warriors hold their own for a time, until Wolverine is blasted by the Dark Rider known as Gauntlet, who is in the next second cut in half by Cable's blast. Cable and Bishop move as one to cover their fallen comrade.
"We're completely surrounded, with no means of retreat." Bishop notes.
"And no desire to surrender, either." Cable adds, as he steals a half-second to glance down at Wolverine. "Logan?" He asks.
"Hold on...Rib's shattered...Punctured a lung...Healing factor's kickin' in..." Logan replies weakly.
"So that means you'll be nice and healthy when we're overrun and killed?" Cable asks with a grim smile.
"Death is not an option you should be considering today, Cable. As always The X-Men fight together and they fight for life!" Storm shouts, as she and the rest of the assembled might of The X-Men burst into the chamber.
If the sight of their allies alongside their nemesis, Apocalypse, surprises the beleagured trio, it is more than offset by the relief they feel at the timely rescue.
Storm, Cannonball, Archangel, Iceman, Polaris, Havok and Psylocke. This is a group of men and women who have waited, indeed, even desired, the opportunity to cut loose, to give vent to their anger and grief ever since the moment a sniper's bullet struck down their mentor, Charles Xavier. And vent they do. In no time they have completely routed their enemy.
"We have much which must still be accomplished, X-Men. Our first priority is to find Cyclops and Jean." Storm tells them.
"Agreed, Storm. But we also better finish off The Dark Riders and confront Stryfe!" Cable adds.
"So divvy up the players and let's start lookin'!" Wolverine tells them.
"Polaris, Cannonball, Cable and I are Alpha. Psylocke, Wolverine and Storm: Beta Unit." Havok tells them.
"All of you go play the part of family. I will hunt alone." Apocalypse tells them.
Cable's blood runs hot, being so close to the one he was born to destroy. But Stryfe presents and even more immediate danger to all their tomorrows. So he riens in his hatred and goes with Havok's crew.
Minutes into their search, later, Havok recieves a call from Storm.
"Beta Unit reporting in. We have ascertained Scott and Jean's location. He has taken them outside...to the surface of the moon." Storm informs him.
"How are we supposed to follow?" Havok asks.
"Cable can teleport us wherever we want ta go." Sam says.
"No he can't." Cable tells them, "In order to get here I had to recalibrate the matrix beam on my teleportation system to punch a hole through Stryfe's shields. Greymalkin can't generate the power to teleport for a while yet."
"Greymalkin?" Sam asks.
"Later, Sam." Cable replies, as he turns to walk away.
"There's no more later between us. We talk now." Sam says, placing a hand on Cable's shoulder which stops him short.
"Later. Let's use that ship of Apocalypse's that brought you here." Cable says, again turning and heading towards the hanger bay.
Minutes later, Alpha Unit is on their way with Cable piloting.
"How do you know how ta fly Apocalypse's ship pretty-as-ya-please?" Sam asks.
"I'm on user-friendly terms with the technology it was derived from." Cable replies.
"So mysterous, isn't he?" Poloris says, trying to lighten the mood.
"Bein' mysterous is pretty much what Cable does best." Sam remarked.
"Listen, Sam, this attitude of yours has to go! What happened, happened, understood? Do I have things to answer for? Yes. Is now the time to do so? No. We'll talk when the mission is completed." Cable told him.
"Sure we will." Sam replied.
"Uhm...I hate to interrupt just as things were getting interesting, but I think we just found out where Stryfe took my brother and Jean." Havok told them.
Sure enough, the had crested a hill and came upon a huge structure, glowing with excess energy pouring out into the heavens.
Cable landed and the quartet put on life support gear for a space-walk and left the craft. As they neared the structure it became apparent that it was surrounded by a force-field of some sort.
"Well, we're here. Wherever or whatever here is." Lorna says.
"Dane, shouldn't you give you broken jaw a rest?" Cable tells her.
"So I'm nervous, Cable. So sue me." Lorna replies.
"Sorry. I'm nervous, too. Scanner's are clear. Let's move in." Cable says and moves forward, passing through the shimmering field first to make sure the scanner is right and that it is, indeed, safe to pass. Cable walks through, but Havok is thrown to the ground and Sam and Lorna are thrown back by the field.
"What The--? Why am I the only one who got through?" Cable asks.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Cable. Whatever it was, it didn't get me either." Havok tells him, as he gets up from where he had fallen.
"Which still doesn't answer the question...Why us?" Cable says.
"Come now, Nathan Dayspring..."
"...I would have thought the answer to be obvious by now. And you've always said you didn't need a crystal ball to predict it, haven't you? Let us have a chat, you and I. My failed brother. Let us talk of time lost and time gained. Of twisted futures and lost pasts. Let us talk, Nathan...of Life and Death!" Stryfe says, as he stands atop the structure with Scott and Jean telekinetically held immobile underneath him.
Cable took Stryfe down in a flying tackle and began to rain down blows on him that would shatter brick walls.
"Good Lord! Did you see?! He activated a self-destruct sequence!" Scott could not believe his eyes.
Stryfe began to fight harder. He got a strangle-hold on Nathan's throat.
"If I do what he wants and activate this...It's going to kill him isn't it?" Scott eyes began to fill with tears, as he realized something of the truth in his heart.
"HIT IT!!!" Cable yelled.
"God forgive me." Scott cryed, as he hit the switch.
"He wasn't afraid." Scott said, unable stop the tears that were running out from underneath his visor.
"CABLE!!!" Sam screamed, and also began to weep when he realized just what had happened.
"Funny, this whole thing started with us thinking Cable was a murderer. But in the end he turned out to be our only hope." Alex says.
Then the singing of the electromagnetic storm is done...Nothing is left but deafening...silence...and the desolate beating of broken hearts....Drumbeats of despair...Which slowly bring to a close...
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"STRYFE! Your time's up!" Cable yells, advancing on the shatterer of love and dreams.
"Is it really, Nathan Dayspring Askani'Son? I have killed the architect of the futile dream! I have humbled the parents of the tomorrow pain! Only YOU remain, my failed brother. So, as you can see, time is up. And down. And mine to control! Which all means, that if anyone's borrowed time is up...It is YOURS!!" Stryfe screams.
"I've learned that time has never been something we can control. Not Apocalypse...Not me...Not you. So if my time has come today, fine. But I'm taking you with me, Stryfe!" Cable tells him.
"Perhaps you are right at that, Dayspring. Perhaps time is not ours to abuse." Stryfe says, as he removes his helmet and throws it at Cable's feet. "Does that mean Scott Summers and Jean Grey should be forgiven for THEIR trespasses?" Stryfe screamed.
"Oh, no? Maybe you don't at that. After all, you are nothing more than a scientific abomination! A failed attempt to preserve a life which did not even need preserving!" Stryfe yelled.
"Could this be true?" Cable thought to himself, "Could Blaquesmith and the Askani' have lied? Could I be the clone and not he?" These thoughts made Nathan's blood run hotter until he finally boiled over.
"STAB YOUR EYES--I'M A MAN! I'M MY OWN MAN!!" Nathan screamed, as he raised and fired his plasma rifle. The platform on which Stryfe stood and, indeed, everything around him was destroyed by Nathan's assault, but Stryfe, himself was untouched. Safe behind his telekinetic shield. He telekinetically lowered himself to the ground.
"Ah, have I touched a chord within you, Dayspring? Perhaps you realize, deep inside, that I am the whole sum of our parts. And you...YOU ARE NOTHING!" Stryfe screams.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!" Nathan screams, as he throws aside his plasma rifle and tackles Stryfe, meaning to strangle the life from him with his bare hands.
"Ah, truer words have never been spoken." Stryfe says, with a laugh.
Cable lands blow after blow with all his remarkable strength, but he cannot penetrate Stryfe's shields.
"Away from me, Half-Life!" Stryfe yells and tosses Nathan away as if he were a child. "I have watched you throughout our lives with an almost fraternal amusement, Nathan. As you went to and fro, as you played the part of Rebel Savior in Our time and mysterious Renegade Mutant Benefactor in this one. I always wondered what Fires fueled you, what passions drove you to act as you did. In ways so Different than I. And now, after all this time, through time, I Finally have my answer. You have been stoked by Desolation. By Isolation! BY FAILURE!!" Stryfe screams.AAAGGHH
Cable smiles at Stryfe's scream of agony, but his pleasure is short-lived for Stryfe retaliates with a telekinetic attack of unmeasurable proportions. Cable falls before this telekinetic storm and is about to give his all and enter Stryfe's mind and lock on to drag him down to death with him when suddenly a plasma blast shreds Stryfe's armor and boils his flesh.
AAAAGGGHH
"Plasma blast...Who...?" Stryfe asks, trying to pull himself back to his feet.
"You relish dealing in pain, don't you, Stryfe? Well stop crying foul and just cry Havok!" Havok tells him.
"Ah, my mistake. My genetic matrix shield was programmed for the Summers DNA. I had not considered it would allow the brother through." Stryfe says.
"Well, it did. Kicked me pretty hard for not being Scott, but I've always done a good job of that myself." Havok tells him.
"It would appear that anyone who bears the name of Summers must pay for it, doesn't it? Some pay with their lives. You, Alex Summers, will pay with your DEATH!" Stryfe screams and prepare to turn Alex's mind to mush. When from out of nowhere, he is struck down by a beam of pure force. The optic blast of Cyclops.
"It's over, Stryfe. Whoever, whatever you are...It's over. It's time to stop this cycle of pain." Scott tells him.
"We can work to heal your wounds. Whatever they are. Let's work them out together." Jean pleads with him.
"No. You're lying. If I trust you, you'll just betray me again. I want to believe you. I do. But how can I? Why am I suffering this way? I'm not the guilty one. You Are! All Of You Are!! I leave you what you left me--A Legacy Of Hatred! A Legacy Of Decay! A Loss Of Hope--A Loss Of Life--A POX ON ALL OF MUTANTKIND!" With this, Stryfe struck out with all his telekinetic fury and destroyed the very tower upon which he had earlier stood. All the vast energies contained within pour our forcing Scott, Jean and Alex to stay behind Jean's telekinetic shield or be fried by the electro-magnetic energies flowing without.
"What about Cable?" Scott yelled.
"He's too far away! I can't reach out to him and still maintain our cover!" Jean answered him.
Unknown to Scott or Jean, at this time, Nathan had his own telekinetic shields up and was fast working on a way to end the menace of Stryfe, forever.
"I can see him through the storm. Cable! What are you doing? Get over here, man!" Cyclops yelled to him.
"Can't. I'm putting an end to this, Summers. Putting an end to Stryfe. Even if I have to go with him!" Cable strapped the device to his chest and tossed the switch to Scott.
"Grab this! When I give the word, hit the engage button!" Cable yelled to him.
"Got it! What is it, Cable? What have you got planned?" Scott asks.
"You'll know, Summers...Believe me, you'll know." Cable replied.
"Wait! Cable, WAIT!" Scott yelled to him.
"It's too late for waiting. It's too late for a lot of things. Do what you can to survive." Cable told them and then turned towards Stryfe.
"Stryfe, I said it before, I'll say it again, you're time's up!" Cable told him.
"NO! I will not be undone by a feeble copy of myself!" Stryfe says.
"That's where you're wrong, Stryfe. I've always been my own man, made my own choices and I CHOOSE TO KILL YOU NOW!" Cable screamed, as he held Stryfe down and activated the device strapped to his chest.
AUTO-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED: T-MINUS 25 SECONDS
T-MINUS 10 SECONDS
"Summers..." Cable yelled.
T-MINUS 5 SECONDS
"Cable--Don't ask me to do this?" Scott was crying outright by now, as was Jean.
SELF-DESTRUCT ENGAGED
SSHHWWOOOUUUMMMMMMMMMMMM
"He knew this was right." Alex told him.
"So I let him go.....again." Scott fell to his knees weeping uncontrollably while Jean tried to comfort him.
"He was that...In order to save us all...We had to sacrifice him....a second time." Scott managed to say through his tears.
"Scott...No...You don't think..." And Jean wept.
"I don't know, Jean...But I do know this...I'm going to spend...The rest of my life...Thinking about today...Thinking about Him...and wondering...God Help Me...I'll never stop wondering..."
The Executioner's Song
Our Journey Continues With
Mired In Destiny
