After they laid his mad son, Tyler, whom Wolverine was forced to kill, to rest, Domino expected that Cable would just want to return home. Instead, he dragged her to Camp Hayden, Kentucky, a government research facility working on a project called “Nimrod,” intended to be a state of the art Sentinel, an android hunter capable of destroying mutants like Cable and Domino. Recently Cable sent his team of mutants, X-Force, to investigate the status of the facility. Alarmingly, they found it to be empty, but for a single name on the wall – “Onslaught.” Now the two of them have returned to investigate and find themselves knee-deep in a fight with armoured guards.
Domino asks Cable if he wants to talk about it. He’s not interested. Is he doing anything else now? she quips. In a word - yes, he replies as he takes out the armored goons.
Cable breaks through a wall for them. Domino observes that he’s relying more on the guns instead of his telekinesis. He’s always believed in the right tool for the right job, he curtly replies. This little mission could have waited until morning, she tells him. No, he insists; they’ve got to find out what went on here and somebody doesn’t want that to happen.
While holding their pursuers off with some gunfire of her own, Domino states that if he doesn’t want to talk about Tyler … Now she’s getting the picture, he tells her. Maybe he doesn’t, but she does, she snaps. They manage to forcefully close a door between them and their pursuers. Domino continues: that piece of work Cable calls his son screwed up one of her best friends! Because of Tyler, she had to kill Grizzly and she’s been living with that!
When Cable sent X-Force down there, Dom told him the facility was empty. It was! Domino insists. Well, it isn’t now. Domino angrily asks him not to ignore this. Cable’s left eye flares, as he tells her that this “Onslaught” has everyone jumping at shadows and now they’ve got their first real shot at tracking it. That’s his concern now. Tyler’s gone and nothing can ever change that. Domino catches a good look at his left arm, which has spikes growing out of it. Does he have trouble controlling the techno-virus, she asks, concerned. Is that the reason for his not using his powers? Let’s go this way, he tells her curtly, ignoring her concerns. Ever since she’s known him, he had to use his TK to hold back the techno-virus. What happened since they saw each other last, Domino wonders silently.
On the other side of the door, the troops are desperately trying to shoot their way through. New arrival Post simply touches it with his hand and opens it for them. Little is known about this man, apart from the fact that he lays claim to being the herald of Onslaught and that it took the combined powers of Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine and Iceman to stop him. They did not necessarily defeat him.
Post thinks to himself that he’s glad Cable hasn’t lost his edge over the years. He almost wishes they didn’t have to do this. He knows Cable will fight him to the end. It’ll be futile, but to the end nonetheless.
Elsewhere in the facility, Cable and Domino are still running. So what is he going to do about Wolverine, she demands. What about him? Cable plays dumb. He killed Tyler, she reminds him. She’s not going to let that go, is she? He sighs in exasperation.
Suddenly, hands begin to form from the circuitry on the wall and reach for them. If he has any suggestions for getting out of here, now would be a good time, Domino manages to utter, despite the tentacles around her neck. Suggestions, no, solutions yep, comes Cable’s reply, as he reaches for a grenade in one of his pouches.
It detonates and they are free. Is he nuts, Dom asks angrily. There’s no way he could have been sure that his TK shield would protect them from that blast. But it did, he shoots back. So she’d better stop yelling. He needs to concentrate. Pushing past the pain, Cable telekinetically re-stitches the sinewy make-up of his infected arm, as he has done all his life. Only now it’s getting harder and harder.
Post notes all this, realizing that Onslaught was right. The battle with young Nate Grey has cost Cable dearly. He saved the boy’s life, but not without compromising his own well-being.
With a crackle of energy, the arm returns to its normal look. Is he going to be all right, Dom asks. He answers honestly that he doesn’t know. Just like he doesn’t know what really happened between Logan and Tyler. Cannonball said that Wolverine had no other choice. He has to respect that. And Grizzly? asks Domino, clearly bothered. She didn’t want him to die.
Rest period’s over, Cable announces, as he hears a noise coming closer.
Elsewhere in the facility, Post examines the technology, wondering if the “human fools” truly believe any device can protect them from the inevitable. On the other hand, he considers, Cable is one of the world’s most powerful telepaths and he’s using his power in new and impressive ways. He is beginning to understand why Onslaught has … concerns about his old friend.
Cable and Domino have finally reached the section they wanted to get to. Somewhere in there should be the memory chips from all the security data recorded on the monitoring cameras. If they find the right chip, they’ll have a first hard image of who or whatever Onslaught is.
Suddenly and automatically, the security arms turn at them and fire. Cable and Dom fire back. Whoever’s trying to stop them, Cable announces, they’re very good. They take cover behind a computer console and Cable telepathically addresses Domino, explaining that they have to shut down those Nimrod scraps before any evidence that could help them is shot to nothing. Dom and Cable take control of two of the guns and use them to take out the other two, then lock them on each other and move out of the way.
As they are looking for the right chip, Dom asks if he’d like to talk now. There’s nothing to talk about, Cable insists. Nothing? Dom asks. Even though he had promised Tyler’s mother – Jenskot – he’d look after the boy? For a moment, Cable says nothing. Then, he explains they are at war. Wars have casualties. What does she want him to say? She wants to know he has a heart in there; Tyler was misguided, tortured… evil. But he was Cable’s son. Maybe Wolverine didn’t think there was another way, but perhaps Cable could have come up with something. That’s why he never gave up on Tyler and why she could have done more for Theo. Cable looks into her eyes and tells her that he knows her. If Grizzly put her into a no-win situation, she did the best she could. The best that anyone could. Visibly moved, she thanked him.
An alarm klaxon sounds and Cable announces that those Nimrods, on the other hand, are getting on his nerves as they strafe the area. Dom has found the chip and Cable examines it on his portable computer, only to find that it’s been magnetized. It’s useless. Angrily, he starts shooting and finally admits to himself that, despite every sacrifice, innocents like Tyler get caught in the crossfire. His son never would have become the monster he was, if not for the evil of Apocalypse and Stryfe. Not this time, he grimly vows. Nothing’s gonna stop him from taking Onslaught down. Nothing!
When the smoke clears, nothing is left, as Post surmises. Cable has managed to escape unharmed and he wouldn’t have expected anything less.
Outside the facility in a sewage dump, Dom and Cable make their way out. Does he feel better, Dom wryly asks. Much, he retorts, except he is sure that they were watched the whole time. He has a very bad feeling about this.
Baltimore, Maryland, a rusted frigate in an abandoned shipyard, headquarters of Cable’s mysterious Askani mentor from the future, Blaquesmith. The inventor is busy examining his findings about the changes in Cable’s Techno-organic infection ever since he confronted the chronal anomaly Nate Grey. He extrapolates likely developments of the disease if it runs unchecked and doesn’t like the results. If this continues, he surmises, there’s no telling what will happen to the Askanison or to any of them if the virus attacks the brain-function of this alpha-level telepath.
Hello, a telepathic voice announces. You?! Blaquesmith exclaims agitated. Yes, me. Again the voice agrees. He knows all he needs to about his precious student and he also knows that Cable cannot survive the obstacles ahead of him without Blaquesmith. Goodbye. With this, the freighter detonates.
