13 years ago:
Nathan Summers a.k.a. Cable and his allies Longshot, Shatterstar, Armor, X-23 and Doop have gathered around Selene in a clearing within the forest of Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado. 'Gideon's the one... he's the one who's been killing all the externals' Selene utters. 'We're aware, Selene' Cable replies. Selene tells Cable that he needs to stop Gideon – needs to kill him. 'If he kills me...and then Absalom, who seems willing to die for him...then all the Externals will be dead. All of us, except for him' Selene points out, while her ally, Blink, stands nearby. 'Sounds acceptable to me' Shatterstar remarks. Selene leaps to her feet and grabs Shatterstar by his collar: 'You don't understand! If we die, he absorbs our power...he will become unstoppable!' she exclaims. 'This woman will say anything to save herself' Shatterstar tells Cable, pushing Selene back to the ground. 'Even if what she says is true, won't killing Gideon just funnel the power of the Externals into Selene?' Shatterstar suggests.
Selene looks up at Cable and asks 'Please tell me this moron doesn't speak for all of you'. She reminds Cable that she had the opportunity to do what Gideon was doing, but she stopped, as the power was too much – too much for her and certainly too much for Gideon. Cable tells Selene that he doesn't believe her for a moment. Cable adds that he doesn't know why she stopped, but that “too much power” doesn't fit her profile. 'You're only frightened because someone beat you at your game' he suggests. Thinking of the devestating “Necrosha” event, Cable tells Selene that he knows what her plans for the future area, he knows who she really is, and he know what she plans to use Blink for. He then tells Selene that they will help her, on the condition that she releases whatever sort of hold it is she has over Blink.
'What is he talking about?' Blink asks. 'Deal' Selene replies, before Blink asks if someone can tell her what is going on. Cable informs her that they will discuss it later, and turns to his allies, telling them to get ready, because if Gideon is powered up like Selene says, then this is not going to be an easy fight. 'Watch each others backs' he adds. Cable turns to Selene and asks her if thr Externals are still connected, and whether she can sense where Gideon is. Selen confirms that she can, before Cable asks Blink if she can take them to Gideon. 'What are you using me for, Selene?' Blink asks. Selene puts a hand on Blink's arm, when suddenly, 'Uh...Cable?' Armor calls out, and Longshot points into the sky. 'He's found us!' Selene gasps as Cable's stolen Blackbird comes crashing down into the forest in a blazing fury.
'Good job with the shield' Cable tells Armor as she throws a large shield around the group. Cable asks them if they are all okay, to which Shatterstar replies 'A little shake, but other than that...' while Gideon hovers in the air, 'Oops. Hope the X-Men have insurance' he jokes, while a solemn Absalom stands nearby, flames and smoke billowing around them. Longshot remarks that Gideon looks bigger. 'That's not just me, right?' he asks. 'Enough of this nonsense. If it's a battle you seek, then you have found it!' Shatterstar calls out as he rushes forward, swords at the ready, and X-23 at his side. Cable tells Shatterstar and X-23 to halt, but before they can reach Gideon, the External relashes blasts of flaming energy that knocks the two of them backwards. Gideon tells them not to put their lives on the line for someone who will kill them the moment this is over. 'This is External business. Between me, Abslom and Selene. Step aside' Gideon declares. 'We can't do that' Cable responds as he opens fire at Gideon, and although the weapons fire strikes his face, the wounds start to heal immediately.
'Cable, come on...I gave you an opportunity to walk away...you should have taken it' Gideon declares. 'NOW!' Cable suddenly shouts, as Armor and Longshot appear behind Gideon, and leap towards him – but Gideon has indeed increased in size, and he easily kicks one leg backwards, which knocks Longshot over, and he moves forward with a fist, striking Armor and cracking the force field around her body. 'I've got Burke's powers of precognition. I can see what you're going to do before you -' Gideon calls out, when suddenly, Cable fires his weapon – straight through Absalom, blasting a hole through his chest. 'Guessing Absalom didn't get those same precog abilities?' Cable smirks. 'Well played, Cable' Gideon concedes, as green energy begins to crackle around his body, he leaps forward and points out that Absalom was never the threat. 'I am!' Gideon boasts, as he slams his fists into Cable, knocking him backwards.
'Attack!' Shatterstar tells the others, as he moves forward and shoves one of his blades through Gideon's chest, while Longshot and Armor both attack him, too. Shatterstar tells the others to clear their minds and let loose, as Gideon won't know what is coming if they don't overthink it. Gideon groans and suddenly, releases a surge of energy, blasting all of the others backwards as he then increases his form into a gigantic size. 'No more playing around' Gideon declares as the heroes struggle to get to their feet. 'All right, he's definitely bigger. I'm not crazy' Shatterstar mutters. 'If I have to kill all of you to get to Selene...' Gideon begins, while Doop floats over to Cable, and speaks to him in his native Doopspeak. Cable assures Doop that he will be fine, as Gideon concludes '...I will'.
With Blink at her side, Selene declares that she should have known better than to come to Cable for help. 'Gideon was right...this is External business' she snaps as she shifts her form into a liquid-like substance, enabling her to rise up and match Gideon in height, whereby she wraps her hands around his neck and attempts to to choke him. 'Ah. There's the Selene I was looking for. The fighter' Gideon utters. Selene calls him a moron, while down below, Blink looks up at Selene, worried. She tries to move forward, but Cable holds her back, 'Let her' he tells Blink. Selene tells Gideon that all of this power was never meant to rest with just one of them, which is why she stopped the killings. 'You won't become godlike, Gideon. The power will eat you. Destroy you' Selene warns him. Cable tells Blink that he needs her to stay close to him and Doop. 'We're going to get out of this' he assures her.
Selene dodges an energy blast that Gideon fires at her, and tells him that their powers were meant to be split across the seven of them. 'I could feel it tearing me apart and I know that you can feel it now...' Selene calls out. 'Lies. Lies from your damned witch tongue!' Gideon retorts, while Cable calls out 'She's telling the truth'. Cable declares that he knows what the future holds, that he has seen it – he knows how this pans out and it is not in Gideon's favor. Gideon stretches his arms upwards and remarks that there are too many variables, too many timelines. 'I know you, Cable. I know that you can't track them all' Gideon points out as he increases his size and grabs hold of Selene, holding her in one hand. Blink stands nervously behind Cable, who reminds Gideon that he has been gone a long time, and points out that things change. 'Something this big, this cataclysmic, I'd know'. Cable adds that the only thing he would miss are small changes – changes that have no consequence, no meaning. 'Which makes me believe that this... fails' Cable concludes. 'LIES! ALL LIES!' Gideon shouts as he slams Selene into the ground.
Gideon looks down at Cable and his allies and declares that he will show them what real change looks like. 'ill show you – what -?' Gideon begins, as a portal suddenly appears above him, and covers his head. Blink clenches her fists, then collapses at Cable's feet, as the others look up to Gideon in shock – his large body tumbles to the ground – headless, sparying blood everywhere. 'That was AMAZING! You beheaded the beast!' Shatterstar grins, putting an arm around Blink. Absalom suddenly rises, 'No!' he shouts as Gideon's body starts to explode. 'This...you can't do this! Gideon was supposed to end my suffering! He can't be -' Absalom begins, before Cable smacks him in the face. Longshot walks over to Gideon as blood continues to spurt from his neck and asks 'Is he...is he dead?' Cable points out that only an External can kill an External, so at best they have temporarily put him out of commission.
'Selene's...' Armor begins, and Cable confirms that she has gone. 'She's not one for gratitude' Cable adds. Armor asks if they should go after her, but Cable points out that they have got what they came for. Cable instructs Shatterstar and Armor to see if there are any salvagable containment units in the wreckage, for the sooner they can get Gideon's body on ice and locked away, the safer they will be. Cable looks down at Absalom and tells his allies that while they are at it, they might want to find some restraints for him. 'Let's get them both locked down before they pull out any other surprises' Cable suggests. 'We're on it, boss' Armor calls back.
'If you knew that he was going to fail, why -' Blink begins as she and Cable look at Gideon's body, but Cable tells her that he didn't. As Doop floats past him, Cable declares that Gideon was right – it is imossible for him to know every possibility, and he was trying to keep Gideon distracted. Cable reveals that Doop had a telekinetic shield up so that Gideon couldn't read their thoughts, and he needed to give Blink the opening she required. 'I just wanted him stopped' Blink utters. 'And he did. Because of you. Without you, it's possible he would have killed all of us' Cable reassures Blink, thanking her. 'All of you' he adds as the others father around, and Armor carries a containment pod towards Gideon. Shatterstar and Armor prepare to load Gideon's body into the containment pod, and as the sun begins to rise across the canyon, Cable tells Blink to take them home.
Later, inside one of Cable's safe houses, at a classified location, Cable and his allies stand before the containment pod which has been placed inside a large empty room 'So what happens next?' Shatterstar enquires. Cable reports that he will take Gideon back to the future – one with a super-max prison that can hold him. Cable is wearing a strange armor as he shakes Shatterstar's hand and thanks him for his service. 'It was an honor' Shatterstar replies. 'For real. That was fun. Well, not fun. But...you know' Armor smiles as Cable shakes her hand and tells her that he does, adding that she is going to make a great X-Man one day. 'You too, Laura' he adds, turning to X-23 and smiling. Doop grins and extends his arms out towards Cable, remaking something in Doopspeak, to which Cable grins and replies 'You're welcome, you little booger. 'Until we meet again' Longshot smiles. 'Until then' Cable replies, before turning to Blink and telling her that he knows what she has been through, and that she can rest assured that she is in a better place now with people who care. He suggests she sticks with Longshot, as he will see that she lands on her feet. Blink thanks Cable, who walks over to the containment pod. 'Until next time' he tells his companions, as he and Gideon then vanish. Armor turns to the others and asks 'So...does anyone know how we're supposed to get home from here?'
Undetermined time period:
Ridge Meadows hospital, Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, where a physician has just delivered a baby. 'Congratulations...it's a boy' she reports. 'Oh my God...he's beautiful' the baby's mother utters as the umbilical cord is clamped and the baby is given to the mother. 'You did it, honey. I'm so proud of you' the father remarks, touching the mother's face. She smiles and admits that she was scared, but the father tells her that she did great, and that they are going to be fine – he just knows it. The baby then opens its eyes... its strange purple eyes....
