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Inside the sanctuary of Tyler Dayspring, the painful rendering of three people's souls continues. Tyler, for the first time in his crazed, battle scarred life, is discovering the truth. By using the Askani's future-cognitive memories and combining them with his own image-projecting abilities, he can see and feel the actions and events which led to his current state of madness.
Tiara simply gawked at the images.
As they watched together the images of a long distant past, Tiara sensed Tyler's fear. It was fast becoming her own. Tiara thought back on the Askani's words -- how the images will make them or break them. She hoped, for her brother's sake, they would make him a better person.
They watched as Scott Summers makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his only son, then behold what occurred afterward.
They saw a young woman, similar to the one sharing her memories, carrying baby Nathan through the portal, as doctor's rushed about to save him.
"Contact the Mother Superior," a voice said. "Tell her the chosen one has been delivered from the womb of time!"
The pictures and voices quickly blended together and changed. Tyler and Tiara now looked upon a large laboratory where the baby had been placed in an incubator. Two figures stood, overlooking the child.
"You have summoned me, Brother Boak," a hooded figure asked.
"I have, Mother. There is a problem," the second figure, a robot, remarked. "The Chosen has an electromagnetic field enveloping him. It is rather remarkable, and it is the only thing keeping him alive. But his life-signs are fading.
"It is as I feared," the hooded figure, a woman Tiara thought she recognized, said. The was a touch of sadness to her voice. "We must prepare the cloning tanks."
"NO!" the robot disagreed vehemently. "Mother, never have I questioned you, but we do NOT clone each other! If we do, then we are as guilty of forfeiting the value and meaning of life as Apocalypse!"
"The child is the chosen one, and as such, he must live," the woman said. "Give night a fighting chance for dawn. . .give all of us a Dayspring. . .so that tomorrow and yesterday will be a better place."
Tyler was shocked.
"So the baby WAS cloned!" he said. "And the original, the one infected with the techno-organic virus did not die as expected."
"That is correct," The Askani told him as the images began to fade. "But the clone was, by far, healthier than the gene-template. The virus barely infected the clone. But something did go amiss. The clone, created to be our greatest hope, in time, became our greatest fear."
"So, you're saying the clone, unscarred by the ravages of the childhood disease, grew up to be the Chaos-Bringer, Stryfe?" Tyler asked in rage.
Tiara jumped backward as he smashed an electrical board.
"My father," Tyler continued then paused remembering Tiara. "Our father, Cable, WAS the true son of Summers and Madelyne Pryor?"
As Tyler reached out towards the Askani, Tiara stopped him. She was sure he was going to hurt the woman, but it didn't matter for the moment.
"You said 'our father,'" Tiara said. "But a few moments ago, you didn't believe I was your sister."
"There is more," The Askani said as newer pictures were placed before them.
Tyler and Tiara saw the place where they grew up, the forest and battlements they called home. They saw each other as they had when they were younger. They were playing with a glow sphere, tossing it back and forth like a beach ball.
"Our old home," Tiara whispered.
"Home," Tyler said. It was difficult for him to remember much of what had happened. Stryfe had "reprogrammed" him into believing something totally different. But as he stood, watching the truth unfold before him, he remembered little things: sights, tastes, smells, and his sisters voice.
Sirens burst to life as the image changed. Explosions tossed dirt and debris in to the air. Then Cable appeared.
"Get to safety," he yelled at the children. "Find your mother!"
Tiara clutched onto Tyler's arm as he pleaded, "But you'll need my help--"
"No buts," Cable said. "Find your mother and get to the safe camp!"
The picture faded into the interior of a building.
"Mommy!" Tiara screamed and ran into the waiting arms of a woman with long auburn hair. She released the little girl long enough to grab a gun, load it and hand it to her son.
"Tyler," the woman said. "Help your father."
Tyler looked at her in despair. "He just said--"
"He'll need your help whether he wants it or not." She hugged him briefly. "Now go!"
Tyler disappeared.
"He was waiting for me," Tyler said to the Askani. "Stryfe knew what he was doing."
More explosion. As the dust settled and cleared, Tiara saw herself, hidden under an iron table. She was untouched by the rubble. Slowly she climbed out from under the table, struggling to get on top of the rubble and crying.
"Mommy!" When there was no answer she called again. "Mommy!"
"Tiara."
She hurried over to the sound of her name. It came from something buried under the rocks. She was able to push a few of the rocks away until she saw her mother's face. It was bruised badly and she was bleeding.
"Mommy," she said again. "You're going to be all right."
"Tia," the woman said. "Find your father. Get away before he comes for you."
"But I gotta take care o' you, mommy."
"No," the woman said, trying to make the little girl understand. "I won't let him. . .have you." She was growing weaker. "You must. . .run. Find your father.
"Who momma? The man who hurt you?"
"Tia, please. He'll. . .he'll use you. Run."
"No!"
"Go!" the woman begged. "Get away!"
The little girl ran from her mother, tears streaming down her face.
"Mother," Tiara whispered as she watched. After a moment, she felt Tyler's hand on her shoulder. She realized it was a motion of comfort.
The pictures changed again. This time, brother fought against sister. As the little girl started to get away, she was grabbed by Stryfe, who laughed evilly.
"He used me," Tyler said. "He reprogrammed me to capture my own sister."
Then the images disappeared.
XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX
Streaking over southwest Texas, the X-Men's modified SR-70 Blackbird aircraft glides in low, under air traffic control radar screens, on its way toward Camp Verde. Inside, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Professor Xavier and Domino are uncertain about what they will find there.
"We will be there shortly," Xavier said. "But I fear it may not be soon enough."
"I've tried reaching my mind out to his," Jean said as she finished bandaging Domino. "But there's nothing. Just a void."
"Cable and Stryfe have always been difficult for our psionic abilities to read, Jean," Xavier said. "But if Domino's explanation of events is accurate, it would explain why you felt Stryfe's disturbance earlier this today.
"Though I must question why you feel that after assuming Cable's body, that Stryfe would walk headlong into Cable's base of operations," Xavier said to Domino.
Domino looked up at Jean, then Xavier. She was still in pain, but at least she stopped bleeding.
"You need to think like a warrior, not a social services worker, Xavier," Domino said. She winced as she moved into a more comfortable position and continued, "Stryfe is back on Earth, with no weaponry, no means of transportation, and all he has going for him is Cable's body. Where else would he go to get what he needs?"
"But if his control of Cable's body is absolute, how far are we willing to go to stop him?" Xavier asked, glancing at Jean and Scott.
Domino responded first.
"As far as we have to, I'm afraid." Domino paused. "It's what Nate would want."
"We've reached the base," Cyclops called from the pilot's chair.
The Blackbird landed swiftly. Dirt, dust and sand flew into the air.
"This is where Cable and X-Force live?" Xavier asked. Suddenly, his head dropped in pain.
"What is it, Xavier?" Domino asked. "You've gone white as a sheet."
"Psi-cries for help," the Professor struggled to say as he shook his head. "They're weak." He looked at his companions. "There are gravely injured people here. We must hurry!"
XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX
Teresa Cassidy slowly opened her eyes. It was dark at first, and for a second she feared she was blind. But as her eyes came into focus, she heard a distinct voice she knew. Realization slowly settled upon her.
"Teresa! Thank heaven. For a moment, you had us all worried." Teresa's eyes focused upon the image of Charles Xavier.
"Rictor is coming around as well, Professor," Cyclops reported.
"Teresa," Xavier said. "Can you tell us what happened?"
The young Irish woman shook her head.
"It was Cable, sir," she told him. "He hit me so fast, me brain felt like it was exploding. I can only guess that he hit Rictor the same way when he came ta help.
"There was something. . .odd. . .about Cable, sir. Something. . .different."
Jean Grey appeared in the doorway.
"We suspect that he's being controlled by Stryfe." Jean said.
"The question is, could Cable have been Stryfe all this time, since his return from the incident on the moon?" Xavier said.
"It's not possible," Teresa almost shouted. She attempted to get out of bed. When she realized she wasn't wearing much clothing, she returned to bed and pulled the sheet tighter around her. "We would have known. Stryfe would never have been capable of the kindness that Cable has recently shown."
The Professor considered this. "I trust your judgment, Teresa. It is simply that we must explore every possibility.
"Not any more," Domino said as she entered the infirmary. "I was able to access Nathan's personal diary. It verifies that my suspicions and Siryn's trust are both dead on target. Everyone to the computer."
Charles, Scott, and Jean followed Domino out of the infirmary. As they departed Teresa and Rictor slowly crawled out of bed. They dressed quickly, their backs to each other, and hurried after the others. After Rictor and Teresa were seated, Domino re-accessed Cable's log.
Cable's image flickered to life in a holographic image.
"Hey, Dom. How goes?" the hologram said. "If you're looking at this, that means I'm probably dead. All I can say is, I hope I took some of the suckers with me!"
The hologram's expression turned somber.
"There are a number of things I wish I could've explained to you. I suppose you're better off not knowing." He paused. "You know what I was just thinking? You never got to see me with the goatee. Stupid, huh? Don't know why I grew it, for the life of me. I can't remember--like that time you got drunk and had an AK-47 tattooed on your--" Cable's hologram shook its head.
"Anyway, for some reason, I keep thinking there's something about that goatee. It means something, but I don't know what. Kinda weird, huh? For something so small to unnerve me. But, after all the things I've been through in life, I know even the little things matter.
"Ciao, Dom. . .See you in the next lifetime."
The hologram faded.
"Cable's concern suggests that Stryfe may have been in possession of his body MORE than once," Xavier observed. "We must find him, Jean. Not just to save Cable. . .but to force Stryfe to tell us the cure behind his Legacy Virus."
Jean walked up to the screen and touched Cable's face.
"I know," Jean replied with a sigh.
"If only we could scan his -- their -- minds telepathically. It's
so frustrating to know that a man who could be as close as my own flesh
and blood as I am ever likely to find out there exists and I can't feel
any of his
thoughts or feelings."
Scott stood from his seat and was about to walk over to Jean, when the equipment went nuts. Lights flashed and cicuits shorted causing tiny explosions. Sparks flew through the air.
"What's happening?" Teresa asked.
Professor Xavier moved forward in his wheelchair to inspect the damage.
"Professor, stay back!" Scott warned. "Something. . .somthing is using the energy from the comm-systems array. It's teleporting from some sort of rift!"
As smoke filled the room from the shorting circuitry, a mechanical voice boomed from within the rift.
"Weapons of war must be neutralized," it said. "Artifacts of peace must be promoted."
Jean gasped. "Scott! Professor! It's the android, Zero."
Zero had taken the opportunity to slip away while the Askani entertained Tyler and Tiara with her stories. He stepped from the rift, and stood before the X-Men assembled there.
Domino drew her gun on instinct and held it at the ready. Scott immediately stepped in front of Jean. He was also ready to attack, if need be.
"If he's here," Scott told the others. "Then Stryfe must be around somewhere. They were inseparable during the time he kept Jean and I captive."
The android stood unmoving. His face was blank -- no eyes, nose or mouth, no expression. His posture was confident. He would not be easily deterred from his programming.
"That is correct, Scott Summers. But this unit was not functioning to the fullest of its capacities during that association," Zero said. "My program parameters are now properly engaged, but in conflict. This unit needs to regain its system's confidence."
Everyone was thoroughly confused.
"And how are we supposed to help you?" Scott asked.
Zero turned to face the leader of the X-Men.
"In order for you to promote peace, you will need to kill your own son. As he is now controlled by the fomentor of chaos called Stryfe, the biological soldier for peace, Nathan Dayspring, must now be terminated."
"Isn't that contradictory for a construct claiming to be a peacekeeper?" Xavier asked.
"As you say, Charles Xavier," Zero replied.
"And you are verifying that Cable is not in command of his own faculties," Charles continued.
Zero turned toward Xavier.
"Correct. The physical shell of Stryfe was destroyed when both he and Cable disappeared. Cable survived, though he was displaced far into a future node. The science of the day was able to restore Cable's body to operating capacities, but not his mind.
"For though Stryfe's body was lost, the
combination of the electro-magnetic flux they were trapped in, and the
genetic similarities between them, resulted in Stryfe's brainwaves still
being active in Cable's body. But only one is capable of controlling
the
host when specific frequency alignments
occur," Zero explained.
"And Mr. Sinister was able to isolate these separate frequencies and cause Stryfe's brainwave pattern to gain control," Domino said with understanding.
"Correct," Zero replied and turned to face Domino. "But also understand that the longer this frequency maintains control, the likelier it is to become a permanent transference."
"But why hasn't Stryfe tried to gain his twisted revenge on Scott and Jean, yet?" Charles asked.
Zero turned to Xavier again and said, "Stryfe has registered the presence of three time-anomalies which require his attention first."
"One's Tyler, Cable's son," Domino said. She saw the surprised looks on everyone's faces. "For years he posed as an arms dealer named Tolliver."
"The second," Zero told them, "is a kinsman of the order of the Askani."
"And the third?" Scott asked.
Zero turned to Jean.
"Jean Grey knows. She heard the child's cry of warning."
"Tiara," Jean whispered. <<Thank God she's all right,>> she said telepathically to Scott. They looked at each other in relief as another portal began to glow around them.
"Stryfe is determined to locate and terminate these anomalies," Zero said. "Do you wish to prevent Stryfe from terminating the life functions of these three time spirits?"
"Of course we do," Charles said as the portal engulfed the four X-Men.
"This unit will transport you to their present location,' Zero said. "Due to the injuries incurred by the entities known as Rictor and Siryn, they will remain here."
Jean, Scott, Domino and Professor Xavier disappeared with the android. Teresa and Rictor stared in amazement where the group had stood only moments before. Smoke rose from the floor where the portal had closed.
"Wonderful!" Rictor exclaimed. "Cable's life hangs in the balance and we hang on the sidelines."
Teresa shook her head and looked at her teammate.
"Somethin' tells me, boyo, that where dey're going may be no place we wanna be."
XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX
Stryfe breathed in the humid air. Bugs were sticking to the sweat on his face. The weight of his personal arsenal didn't slow him down in any way, as he made his way through the thick underbrush outside of Tyler's citedel. Stryfe smiled to himself. He didn't need to think about those trivial little things. He was blessed -- or was he cursed -- with the single-minded ability to ignore any obstacle when there was a clearly defined goal in sight.
In one sudden movement, he aimed his gun towards the ground and fired. The smoke and ash cleared to reveal a metal door. Carefully, Stryfe opened the small hatch and dropped down into the darkness. There was only one thing on his mind as he began to feel his way around in the dark. Murder.
He saw a tiny spec of light several yards ahead of him. Voices eminated from the tiny opening. Hearing through Cable's mechanical audio-sensors was still an unnerving experience. A perpetual buzz hummed through everything. At times, it was almost maddening.
*It's a miracle you never turned out to be the homicidal maniac everyone thinks you are, Nate,* Stryfe thought.
The light came from down below a grate in the tunnel. Slowly, but with purpose, Stryfe crawled toward it. Peering through the small, square holes of the barrier, he saw something fascinating.
Light and sounds swirled in a whirlwind
about three people -- his three targets.
He knew he sensed the presence of Cable's
son, Tyler and two others. With narrowed eyes he tried to decipher
who the other two people were. One of them looked like a member of
the Askani clan. The second looked vaguely familiar. It wasn't
until Cable's own emotions started to battle within him that he knew.
<<Tiara.>>
Brother and sister were occupied by the story the Askani's memories were telling them. She heard her name called out and looked at Tyler. He was engrossed in the story as much as she. Then she ventured a curious look around with her eyes and her mind. She sensed a second presence within the citadel, but she couldn't tell who it was.
*Probably, Zero,* Tiara told herself, turning her attention back to the story. *But can a machine have a human presence?*
Unaware of the situation, Tyler began arguing with the Askani.
"Is Cable aware that this happened?" he asked. "I mean. . .did he realize we were kidnapped?"
"No," the Askani answered. "Cable was unaware of Stryfe's presence. His only thoughts were for his children. He was even more frightened when he found his wife on the verge of death and his son and daughter among the missing."
With those words, the pictures changed again. There stood Tyler, gun poised at a woman's head and ready to fire. Tiara stood behind Cable. Cable stood staring at Tyler, unaware of his daughter's deadly intentions.
"He was very much surprised when he came face to face with his only son, pointing a gun at his teammate's head.," the Askani continued. "He stood alone against you. He did what he thought was right, but do not think he experienced any joy from the act. More surprised was he, when he was hit from behind by an energy blast. After he composed himself, he could only stare in disbelief at the little girl who stood beside a smiling Stryfe. Enough surprises, he fell unconscious."
"But--" Tiara started when the Askani interrupted her.
"I sense another anomalous presence."
"Father," Tyler whispered with a smile.
Tiara went ridged with fear.
An explosion sent metal and shrapnel raining from above. Tyler tried to protect Tiara from the falling debris. Then a laser cut through the air, seemingly from nowhere. Both children watched as the Askani disintegrated before their eyes.
When all was over, Tyler knelt beside what was left of the time-traveling woman.
"Are you gone, sister? Have you left me? If you are lost. . .then so is the truth."
"Who could've done this?" Tiara stepped up behind Tyler to see the remains of the Askani.
Without warning, Stryfe lept from his hiding place, guns poised and at the ready.
"Me!" he shouted as he descended towards the two children. "Daddy dearest."
Tyler immediately stood. He placed himself between Stryfe and his sister. She wasn't part of his original plan, and he didn't want her harmed in any way.
"You do understand," Stryfe told the children, "that it is Stryfe who now inhabits the mind of your father, Cable. Don't you?"
"Tyler," Tiara whispered. "What does he mean?"
Then she heard the click of a gun clutch and understood.
"Or would it suit your own twisted sense of justice if it were your REAL father's finger poised to pull the trigger," Stryfe continued.
Tiara was lost. Her father stood before her -- a man she believed dead for years. But from what she could understand, it wasn't her REAL father. It was Cable's body, true enough, but the mind controlling it was Stryfe's.
"You don't scare me, Stryfe. You exist here and now because I planned for the occurrence," Tyler said with a smirk. "With your own body destroyed in the temporal vortex you triggered on the moon, the only way I could gain any measure of vengeance on both you and Cable was for the two of you to exist in the same body at the same time."
*Dear brother, what have you done?* Tiara thought. * Has Stryfe's brainwashing driven you mad? What kind of vengeance can be gained when you must kill a loved one to destroy the enemy.*
Tyler grew wary of Tiara's presence and began a bolder, verbal assault on Stryfe.
"You can't deny what you were, Stryfe," he said. "What you are now!"
In one step, Stryfe stood towering above Tyler. He backhanded the boy with such a force that it cut Tyler's lip and loosened a few teeth.
"And what am I pup?" Stryfe asked with a haughty laugh.
Tiara wanted to help. She hated being useless in a fight. But a mental cry from Tyler told her stay out of it. If Stryfe hasn't paid much attention to her, Tyler reasoned, she was safe.
"A failure!" Tyler screamed as he stood. "A failure in both body and mind, considering your current state of being. Unable and unwilling to accept the truth."
Stryfe was intrigued. "And what truth is that?"
Tyler smiled maliciously -- a smile that reminded Tiara of Stryfe.
"You really don't know," Tyler chuckled. "You don't know the truth about your birth. This is truly delicious!" Tyler looked Stryfe directly in the eye. The smile never left his lips. "You are not the true son of Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor as you were led to believe. Cable is."
"Liar!" Stryfe howled and fired one of his weapons at Cable's son. It happened so fast, even Tyler was not prepared for it. But Stryfe had no time for gloating, for not even a second later, he was hit by something from behind.
"Wha--" was all Stryfe could say. He looked behind him to find Tiara standing there. She must have moved into position while Tyler preoccupied him.
*I didn't acknowledge her powers,* Stryfe thought to himself. *A mistake, I will need to rectify.* Tiara was seething with energy. It glowed about her like an aura. The first blast she gave him nearly knocked him cold. Stryfe didn't want to imagine what the next one would feel like. He struggled to his feet.
Then Cable's emotions surfaced again. Stryfe tried to ignore them, but Cable was still in the lower depths of his mind, fighting him.
"Get out of my father!" Tiara screamed. She stood, eyes blazing and prepared to strike again.
"How could you do that to me, again, daughter?" Stryfe said.
Tiara's gaze leveled. "You are no more my father, than Scott is yours, Stryfe."
Stryfe found the strength to stand up straight. He howled in rage, "Where do these lies end?!"
A bright light filtered, then exploded, into the room.
"The son and daughter of Dayspring speak the truth Chaos-Bringer."
