He's been traveling, hitchhiking, for over a week. His name is Nathan Summers, son to Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor. He is more commonly known to us as Cable... or perhaps the Askani'son... even the Chosen One.

Cable has just defeated his greatest adversary, the rogue god known as Deathglare. While the people who died were brought back through Aéulgo's power, Cable had to put an end to Aéulgo's mortal life as well to balance everything out. Along with these events, Cable's subconscious desire to be evil has been plaguing him -- Cable even discovered his darkside has already committed a few atrocities of its own without him or anyone else knowing. Coupled with that, Rachel Summers, his recently de-aged sister, uncovered many of the mysteries of his past.

Now... who knows? Cable is searching for his purpose, just like any person would. But the real reason is to keep himself away from people in case his dark self erupts unexpectedly. With Cable's telekinesis, he can kill a person with a mere whim -- and that's while he is still considered "good". There's no telling what "Dark Cable" will do.

Nathan scrunches his tired feet against the dry, sandy terrain while wiping his forehead of all the sweat that accumulated. He spent his last ounce of money on a bottle of water... water that has since been drunken. He's finished. He could call for help with his telepathy, or better yet fly himself to the nearest gas station.

I know that's absurd, Cable thinks to himself. I came out here to find out who I am. I'm not about my powers. I don't need my powers 24 hours a day--

Cable looks at his techno-organic arm. Well, maybe just a little of my telekinesis every once in awhile. Still, I found that I can become a god if I wanted to... it feels like every last one of my atoms are burning... but I still have the power. I'm capable of so much... and I'm not even sure what I'm fighting for. Good? Evil? Xavier's doomed dream? My integrity as the Askani'son? WHAT?!

Suddenly, Cable hears the sound of brakes screeching to a halt. A beat up red truck rumbles to the side of him. Cable instinctively shape-changes his techno-arm to resemble human flesh. The window rolls down, revealing a very beautiful woman with a halter top, blue jeans, snakeskin boots, and a cowboy hat. "Howdy, stranga. Need a ride?"

Cable gives the perky woman a look of apathy. "Probably. The question is, do I want one?" From you, anyway... Carmen Electra, on the other hand.... Well, I guess she's not that bad... couldn't hurt. You're probably sunburned already, Nate!

The woman smiles, "My name's Rebecca, butcha can call me Becka fer short. What's yer name, son?"

"Nathan Christopher Charles Summers-Dayspring Askani'son," Cable responds with a little smile.

Becka sort of gawks for a moment, "Ah had no idea ya were a religious figure. Come on in, Father Nate."

Cable smiles, "No, I'm not a priest... I'm just... adopted... sort of..."

Becka breathes a sigh of relief as she opens the passenger door for Cable, "Good, cuz Ah ain't been to church since the Carter Administration."

Cable throws his duffle bag in the back seat and hops in the old truck, slamming the door. "Well, church isn't everything... there's still meditation you can do."

Becka hits the accelerator, "So where ya headed, Nate?"

"Wherever..."

"You ain't a fugitive, are ya?"

"No."

"You ain't got no drugs or weapons in that sack o' yers, doya?"

"...No."

"A'ght, we're in bu'ness then! Welcome to Rebecca Redhawk's Guide to the Open Road. Keep your arm rests and tray tables in their upright and locked position... and all 'at... hehe!"

Cable forces a smile. Oh God...someone punch me in the face...

Not too far away...

*ZZZPPP*

Rachel Summers has just been brought back from the dead, for lack of a better phrase. She was born in an alternate timeline where most of the X-Men had died, and the Sentinels had pretty much exterminated mutants. Through the intervention of the Phoenix Force and an older Katherine Pryde, Rachel was able to travel to our time. From there, she became an X-Man... and later a member of Excalibur. From there, she was flung into the far future to form the Clan Askani to oppose Apocalypse.

She came back to the present, as an energy being, to usher in the Calling to defeat Apocalypse once and for all. After the battle, Rachel's energy form disappeared. It was discovered from a lead by Sanctity that Rachel was still alive. Cable ventured into the jungles of Africa to find her, after previously confiscating some of her DNA that Mr. Sinister had on file. After that mission was over, Blaquesmith finalized the procedure and transferred Rachel's energy form into the cloned, younger body's neural net.

Now? She's looking for the X-Men... but the arid landscape before her suggests something went wrong. What? Blaquesmith, you old fool! You said this thing would take me to Westchester... I'm in the middle of nowhere! Rachel does a telepathic scan of the area and picks up on some stray thoughts. Rachel hopes and prays that it could be Nathan's. There's something strange with the psi-pattern... like there are layers of multiple psi-patterns in one.

Suddenly, a smile spreads across Rachel's face. Rogue!

Later...

"Anythin' yet, sugah?" Rogue asks Rachel Summers as she operates Cerebro.

Rachel's forehead glows immensely as the mutant-tracking machine enhances her telepathic powers, "The trace is too faint. It looks like he's headed towards Los Angeles."

"Do y'all need the X-Men's help?" Rogue asks. "We'd be more than glad to--"

"No... this is family business," Rachel responds quickly.

"Oh..." Rogue says.

Rachel removes the Cerebro helmet from her head, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. This is a minor thing. Nathan's just upset..."

"Well, Ah'd reckon so. What with Scott just gettin' outta that coma, and Jean missing... Scott says she's fine -- they have that rapport, so Ah guess she's all right."

"It's more than just that, I'm afraid," Rachel explains.

"Why? Is he all stressed out from makin' ya young again?"

"Well," Rachel was about to explain, but gets cut off by the monitor in the War Room. "What the--"

{...a big gray creature-like thing has been trading blows with many of New York's heroes. Nothing appears to be stopping him!} Trish Tilby shouts, on-location amidst a fight with Boroh against Spider-Man.

Rachel and Rogue exchange a glance. "The others are somewhere else at the moment," Rogue informs.

Rachel unsheathes her brother's psimatar, "We might not have to get them. Let's show that brute what two women warriors can do to him."

Rogue smiles, "I like the sound o' that."

Rachel tweaks her wristwatch and speaks into the receiver, "Computer, bodyslide by two to New York City... and get it right this time!"

*ZZZPPP*

"Eisenhower Hammer. Former hacker and member of the outlaw Six Pack," Paris says as he reads the index card in his hand.

Hammer looks up from his wheelchair and sees nothing but an illuminating light. His speech is assisted through an electronic device, "What is it to you?"

"I wouldn't start with the one-liners just yet, pal," Agent Tracy Raymond yells.

Agent Paris puts the index card back in his sportcoat inside pocket. "So, what's your connection to Cable, Mr. Hammer? Friend?"

"No. The bastard shot me in the back...literally! I wouldn't call that a friend," Hammer responds, panting.

"So, while you were in his employ, he wasn't what you'd call...entirely honest with the other Six Pack members?" Paris asks.

"There was a lot we didn't know about him, like where he got his robotic arm," Hammer explains. "All we knew - well, all I knew - was that he was a trigger-happy telekinetic named Nathan with a hard on for Stryfe."

"Did you ever suspect Cable and Stryfe of being the same person?" Agent Raymond asks.

"That's impossible," Hammer says. "I've seen them both in the same place together!"

"Okay," Paris says calmly, "but why would Cable, the good guy, shoot you in the back, paralyzing you for life?"

Hammer looks at the floor, "I... I was just trying to save the life of another Six Pack member from Stryfe. The... the disk!* That was all he wanted for Kane's life! And... Cable..."

(* As depicted in a flashback in the Cable: Blood and Metal miniseries, Stryfe had Kane held hostage and offered to spare Kane for the disk Hammer had uploaded valuable information onto. When Hammer was about to give Stryfe the disk, Cable had no choice but to shoot Hammer. Ouch! -- Brad)

"Okay, Mr. Hammer, that's all," Paris says as he and Agent Raymond exit the interrogation room.

"...Cable... shot me...!" Hammer says shakily.

The Grand Canyon, Arizona

Cable looks out of the window of Becka's truck and peers into the natural wonder. In his era, it was the Clan Chosen base where