Earth's Orbit, aboard Greymalkin II

Inside this alien fortress is a mountain of futuristic and other star-spanning technologies. The human race will not see this technology for at least another 2000 years. Amidst all of this wonder, a single man sits in the middle of it all. With all the ability he is capable of, he cannot prevent his heart from feeling broken.

His name is Cable, he is a mutant warrior who was raised in the far future and has come back to the present to save the world and shape it so that his hellish era will never exist. War has been a big part of his life. Death was an everyday thing for him, but it's not getting any easier.

Cable has tabs on nearly all of his allies and enemies from Greymalkin. From here, he is also able to teleport -- or bodyslide -- himself anywhere on Earth in an instant.

Cable walks towards the window overlooking the planet Earth. In the distance, he can see the moon as well. He looks longingly at the terran he once lived upon. He used to be a part of the society in his own way. He's lived with the people he's sworn to protect.

Protect...That's an interesting way of putting it. Cable has always fought for what was good and rightious. He fought the enemy but never really thought about the people on the sidelines...until now. Now, Cable knew what he was fighting for. Not his future. Not for his slain wife. He was fighting for those that didn't want to or couldn't fight. He's here to save the world by any means necessary.

Suddenly, there is a strange electronic pattern seen on the viewing screen. Cable keeps his eyes on the screen as a chair extends from the floor and slides him over to the console. He types in a few commands, trying to reduce the static.

"What the--?"

The Daily Bugle

"--hell were you doing at the Hellfire Club just before a major homicide of some of its members?!!" J. Jonah Jameson, the publisher of the popular newspaper, barks. Irene Merryweather shifts in the chair facing Jameson's desk. Jameson himself isn't even making eye contact with Irene, he's looking out the window. He's watching construction crews repair the damaged buildings an alien ship caused a few days ago. *

(* Issue #23 and 24 -- Brad)

"I...I don't know...," Irene responds innocently. As much as she loved Cable, she never thought being involved with him would cause so much trouble.

"Well, why the hell did you leave is what I'm asking, Ms. Merryweather..."

"What--?"

"You were front and center for the biggest story in months...and you LEFT?!"

Irene's jaw drops. For a moment, she thought she was going to become a murder suspect thanks to JJJ. "Um...it was pretty intense...and...I dunno...I just..."

"There are damn news reporters that are in the middle of gunfire between Israelites and Palestinians in the Middle East...and you, a top-knotch reporter, flee a murder scene?"

"I wasn't exactly there for the murder to take place..."

"Oh? You just said a minute ago it was too intense for you, so you left. It, meaning the homicide."

Irene feels her cheeks burn. "I..."

"The CEO of Shaw Industries dies...and you LEFT??!"

"I..."

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. Joe "Robbie" Robertson opens the door, with a manilla folder in his hand. He slaps the folder on Jameson's desk. "Something wrong?" he asks.

Jameson turns around and lights a cigar. After a hearty drag, he says, "Merryweather failed to get the Hellfire Homicide story before the New York Times did. She was just there a few hours before...I just don't get it."

"I'm sure there's an explanation, JJ," Robbie suggests. "Right, Irene?"

Irene hears her name and jumps in her seat, "Uh...right, Mr. Robertson."

Jameson cocks an eyebrow, taking the cigar out of his mouth and bringing his face in front of Irene's. "WELL?!?!"

Irene flinches, but suddenly finds herself bursting out of her chair and points a finger at Jameson's mouth. "You want an explanation? Fine. As a former writer for the American Inquirer, I once took an assignment to investigate a possible sect of the Hellfire Club that was actually organizing criminal operations. Last Friday, I was following up on that story. I was at the Hellfire Club from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The murders took place around 7 or 8. At 5 o' clock, I left the Hellfire Club because I got the proof I needed."

"What kind of proof was that?" Jameson asks, still with Irene's finger in his face.

Irene hesitates, "Because they attempted to recruit me into their ranks. They even dressed me up in one of those sleazy get-ups from the Lady Marmalade video or whatever." Irene hands Jameson photos of herself in the get-up leaving the Hellfire Club. "I have a friend who can give me video survalence, too."

"And 5 PM is when you...escaped, obviously?" Jameson deduces as he tries to hide the fact he's blushing.

"Yeah, so don't tell me I'm not a top-knotch reporter who runs away from stories. For all I knew, I had my story, so I high-tailed."

Jameson smiles, "Now I remember why I hired you."

Yeah, so you can stare at my boobs... Irene thinks to herself.

"Alright, have you got any other witnesses to this...this thing?" Jameson asks. Irene looks to her side.

"I'd have to see which Indian male taxi-drivers were on duty in Manhattan around 5 PM on Friday," Irene says. "He drove me away in my retreat."

"Hmm, are you sure about this, Jonah. After all, they're dead, already," Robbie says.

"Yeah, but revealing that they were criminals...that's even better!" Jameson says with a laugh. "And it says here the killer was actually one of their own, a redhead who has a twin or something in the fashion bizz. Madelyne Pryor-something? She had a false ID on her. She didn't even have a social security number..."

"Yeah, she was there," Irene says. She looks down at the floor, knowing it was really Cable who killed the Inner Circle in a rage after his mentor -- Blaquesmith -- died. In a twisted way, Cable planned it all to be blamed on his mother, Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean Grey.

"She must have had paranoia or something once she found out you were a reporter. Afraid she might be deported to whichever right wing country she came from," Jameson says. "Or she's a psycho."

"I'd go with the psycho thing," Irene says immediately, feeling extremely guilty for the butt-load of lies she's just told. But she needs to protect Cable. Too much is at stake. Her biography of Nathan Summers, The Book Of The Askani'Son, is supposedly too important to the future of the universe.

"Hm, well get on the horn and find that taxi driver, then we'll see if we can't make this headliner for the evening edition," Robbie says to Irene.

Irene gets off her chair and shakes his hand. "No problem."

"--Professor?" Cable asks with awe as he stares at the Celestial programming code on viewing screen.

{{ Hello, Nathan. It has been a long while. I would prefer that you call me Prosh }} the sentient computer states.

"Oh...right, I'm sorry. How did you get uploaded into Boroh's ship?"

{{ Your querey should be reworded, Nathan. }}

"How so?"

{{ Simply put, I am the same entity when I left Earth all those months ago. Yes, I have fashioned myself into a ship again, but I am still the same. }}

"How come you're not draining me?"

{{ A minor problem I fixed. }}

"Okay, another question: how did Boroh acquire you?"

{{ Well, one instance, I was floating in a solar system about 100,000 lightyears from the Milky Way. The system had twelve planets. Not one of them was able to support life -- yet, I found a solitary lifeform. It was Boroh, a species I had never encountered before. Instead of thanking me, he disabled my systems and took control of the ship. After seeing the information I had stored on the heroes of Earth, he set his coarse here. He had delusions of grandure that he was a universal champion and needed to defend his title, }} Prosh explains. {{ I see you defeated him. }}

Cable smiles slightly, "I had help."

{{ Yes, well...After your former ally, Eisenhower Hammer, directly mind-linked with me, I was reawakened, but not yet in control. When you finally purged his mind from my systems, I was able to operate properly. }}

"I see."

{{ I am truly sorry for Blaquesmith. I knew he was like a father to you. }}

"Thanks," Cable says, getting out of his chair, stretching.

{{ Well, on the plus side, your mind-pattern is linked with the bodyslide program, and additionally -- myself. }}

"Yeah, that could come in handy if I'm in a tense situation. It seems all those wars we fought in are beginning to get competition with the wars being fought now."

{{ I sincerely hope they don't escalate that high. With my former master, En Sabah Nur gone-- }}

"--it could still happen. Apocalypse was one catalyst. There are others out there."

The viewing screen seems to idle as a newspaper headline is brought up. Prosh appears to sigh, {{ Senseless violence. }}

Cable turns around, peering at the article, which reads "MUTANT TEEN SLAIN BY POLICE." Cable rubs his eyes. "I've never been an enthusicastic follower of Xavier's dream...mainly because I've never been alive where it worked. It's hopeless...I'd sure like to know what the factions of X-Men hope to accomplish."

{{ Patience is the key. }}

"Patience my ass." Cable sighs again, "I'll have to keep a closer eye on Logan, too. I'm wondering if I'll ever trust him again..." *

(* Have you been slacking on your Wolverine reading? Brad)

{{ He will prove his worth. }}

"Maybe."

Suddenly, the viewing screen uploads a map of China, zooming in on a particular city. Grid lines crisscross the geographical terrain, converting it into a digital picture. A blaring red circle blinks around the city of Lanzhou, on the Huang He. {{ There appears to be a major disturbance in this area of China, Nathan. }}

"What is it? Did the Huang He flood the area?"

{{ No, but there seem to be high readings of a strange energy signature. I cannot quite pinpoint what it is, but it is the equivilent of some sort of a pressure build up. When that energy is released...I do not know what could happen. }}

Cable straps his gear on, "Get me down there. I may need some guns later."

{{ I'll bodyslide them to you. }}

"Alright, I'm out."

*ZZZPPP*

Lanzhou, China

*ZZZPPP*

Cable materializes in the middle of what seems like a riot. Citizens, commonfolk, are running frantically away from the gunfire originating from the guns of criminals. He erects a telekinetic shield and tries to see who's doing the shooting.

All Cable can hear is the screams of men, women, and children as they yelp after a bullet has been planted in their bodies. His left eye lights up in his rage. As the crowd of people disperses, all that remains is Cable and a bunch of bloody corpses.

The smoking barrels of the guns belong to the hands of people dressed in black business suits. There are at least hundreds of them. One man in sunglasses of the front lines retorts, ["What is this Westerner doing here?"]*

(* Translated from the Cantonese language of China -- Brad)

Cable probes the man's mind, learning Cantonese in a split second. ["You're deeply mistaken. I'm not affiliated with any country...not anymore. Why have you slaughtered these people? Another important question...why shouldn't I do the same to all of you?"]

The Asian men and women chuckle. The man in shades walks up to Cable, face to face. ["You are one man. You cannot take on the entirety of the Zealots of Ahm-Zuin!"]

Cable smirks, ["I bet I could cook something up. Either way, you're eating something--"]

*THWACK!*

["--my fist, perhaps?"]

The man stumbles backward, wiping the blood from his lip. He stares at the red plasma trickling down his fingers and looks up at the sunny sky. ["Ahm-Zuin...be avenged...!"]

Suddenly, hundreds of laser targeting systems are locked onto Cable's head as the clicks of hundreds of guns are heard. The Zealots have an eerie look in their eyes.

"Prosh, do you know what the Ahm-Zuin is?"

{{ Negative. }}

["Are you not afraid, Westerner?"] the man in sunglasses asks.

Cable raises an eyebrow. ["Are you?"]

Suddenly, the Zealots rip off their business suit attire, revealing body armor fit for a modernized samurai. The man in sunglasses, also now bearing the same armor smiles. ["I am Chai Shi, Ahm-Zuin Zealot Supreme. Fellow Zealots...put down your projectile weapons...those are blasphemus mockeries of the sword!"]

The Zealots throw down their guns, unsheathing their swords -- blades made of pure jade with an iron hilt. Cable notices their eyes are glowing red.

["Attack the white man,"] Shi says, seemingly disappearing in a mob of his own warriors as they advance on Cable.

Thinking fast, Cable extends his psimatar into its full staff size and blocks a sword swing while kicking another warrior in the stomach. He then twirls his psimatar a full 360 degrees to block any other oncoming swords. His left eye beams with psionic energy as his heart rate has increased in the heat of battle.

Their strength and speed...it's amazing...it's not...natural, Cable thinks to himself.

*SLIKT!*

"ARGH!" Cable yells, grabbing his back. His techno-virus has unconsciously formed into a spikey version of itself. Cable simply swings his left arm, gauging out a Zealot's eye.

Two Zealots grab both of Cable's arms as another takes a running start and kicks him in the gut using both feet. Blood and air are forced out of Cable's mouth. He struggles to breathe.

One warrior forces the psimatar out of Cable's hand and slices it in half with her jade sword. Cable conjures all his might and flings the warriors holding his arms into each other, temporarily freeing himself, only to be dogpiled by about ten of them.

Blood drips from Cable's cut lip and forehead. Gritting his teeth, he creates a telekinetic pulse, rocketing the dogpile off of him. He reaches into his napsack and brandishes two semi-automatics. Spinning around, he unloads every shell he possibly can. Zealots fall, but more and more come after him.

Taking an army knife from his boot, Cable flings it into a Zealot, causing the warrior to throw his jade sword into the air. Jumping into the air, catching the sword, Cable dismounts by severing another Zealot's hand. Cable morphs his techno-organic hand into a blade as well, creating a duel threat in the sharp objects department.

Cable jumps in the air, delivering a roundhouse to the chin of a Zealot with his dense, and techno-organic, left leg; he then quickly bashes him on the head with the blunt end of the jade sword.

Still more of them. Cable wipes the sweat from his brow, hauking up a wad of mucus caught in his throat. Blood from his wounds have dripped into his mouth. Tasting the iron tang, Cable feels a sense of rage. His heart is racing and his techno-virus is spreading slightly -- it was definitely agitated. Fifth Force or not, the virus could still kill him if he wasn't careful. A few inches more and his heart could be stopped by it.

He's fought entire wars before, but none like this, where he was all alone against impossible odds. Not that he doesn't like it that way.

The Zealots have slowed down their pursuit, now slowly moving in a large mob in a circle around Cable. They cackle and murmur in delight. Their eyes are blood red.

Cable slowly rotates himself while clutching the jade sword. He wasn't a very experienced wielder, but he could manage better than most beginners.

Suddenly, the Zealots speak in unison. It wasn't Cantonese, however. It was something very, very strange. Their swords begin to emit a green light, as if the jade had become irradiated. They point the edges of their blades at Cable and with multiple blasts of light, fire upon Cable.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Cable grimmaces as the feeling of being weighted with the world grips his entire body. He loses grip of his sword as it crumbles under the pressure. He slumps to the ground on his knees. The Zealots finally hinder their blasts.

Cable stares motionless into the red eyes of the samurais...slumping face-first into the cobblestone road. A pool of blood seeps through the cracks around his body.

Chai Shi observes the fallen Westerner from a distance and smiles. He raises his hand, shouting to his fellow Zealots, ["These pathetic worshipers of Buddah will witness the end of their era. Ahm-Zuin is the supreme force in the universe now!"]

The Zealots cheer, shaking their fists and swords.

Shi's smile lessens as he hovers over to the body of Cable. He inhales through his nose, exhaling in a savage growl. ["Cut off his head."]

NEXT ISSUE: Um...as if about to lose his head wasn't bad enough, the Zealots of the Ahm-Zuin are about to unleash a force the world has never seen! Plus, a forgotten and unexpected enemy may just turn China into his/her personal empire while all of this is going on!