X-Force #23

Sluggo and Deadpool are beat to the punch at Vanessa's place, when Domino arrives to confront Copycat! Cannonball revokes his promise to Professor X.

Rictor, Shatterstar, Sunspot, and Feral find Crule so they can find the missing X-Force members. Domino fights Weapon Prime with the help of Grizzly and Hammer. She then finds Copycat and learns how to find Cable's old team. X-Force defeats the Externals and tells them to never mess with X-Force again.

Synopsis

Under cover of night, Feral, Rictor, Shatterstar, and Sunspot gather outside the backdoor entrance to St. Anthony's Hospital. Rictor vibes the door open and the team sneaks through the building. They find their intended room and prepare for a potential scuffle within. All they find upon bursting through the door is a completely bandaged person. The mini-X-Force unit takes this person to their aircraft and demand information. The person is obstinate. Shatterstar threatens the person's life while Rictor uses diplomacy: X-Force wants information on the Externals so that they can take the faction down one by one. This is something the person wants. The bandages are pulled down to reveal Crule's face. He agrees to give X-Force everything it needs.

In Camp Verde, Cannonball watches the proceedings with Crule while having a discussion with Professor Xavier. Xavier has never heard any facts regarding the Externals and had always shunted any rumor of them to the side. Cannonball confirms that the faction is a legitimate threat. Cannonball then states that X-Force is at odds with the Externals but that he is helpless to do anything, as he swore to never get entangled in their affairs again. He wonders, should he break his oath? Xavier reminds Cannonball that this delicate line-stepping was Cannonball's own fault. He also assures the young mutant that he'll make the right decision.

Up north in a Department K records room, Domino and Grizzly face off against the newest incarnation of Weapon: PRIME. Grizzly, having briefly been a part of the team some time before, gives Domino the rundown of each person, minus the new super smiley guy. Domino hides behind Grizzly while Hammer tries to give them information on fighting or escaping. As he looks at Department K's schematics he notices that the super smiley guy is right behind Domino. He orders her to duck. Killjoy introduces himself while Domino blasts him in the face with a magnesium flare. Hammer tells the duo to escape through an air conditioning duct just above them. Weapon: PRIME has a difficult time following them until the smoke clears. Domino and Grizzly learn that they are not escaping through a vent but a sewage line; it is effective, however, and the two reach Hammer in the parked Winnebago. Hammer hits the gas as the Canadian super-team emerges. Tigerstryke attempts to catch them but is thwarted when the old vehicle turns into a jet and flies away. Tigerstryke promises that they will track the three down. This never happens.

Down in Oregon, Gideon assures Saul that X-Force will come for their teammates. The two then ponder the affairs of the world and how the roles of the Externals seems to be diminishing. They are particularly concerned about the "natural" death of Nicodemus. Saul states that the answer to their problems may lie with Cannonball, the latest "member" of the External family. Below, Boomer, Warpath, and Siryn are still held captive by shackles against a cliff with half of their bodies submerged in the ocean.

In the air, X-Force makes their way towards the mansion housing Saul and Gideon. Crule informs them of the natural defenses the landscape offers the estate. The team agrees upon a full-out assault. Crule further states that, thought the Externals may be immortal, they are still susceptible to physical defeat. The team lands a short distance from the estate and enters one of Cable's futuristic tanks. Avoiding any semblance of secrecy, the tank crashes into the side of Saul's home. The two Externals are taken unawares. Rictor and Feral subdue Saul while Sunspot very gladly takes out Gideon.

Back at the home of Tina Valentino's, Copycat (still in the form of Tina) quickly packs her bags. She is stopped cold when Deadpool puts a very large gun to her head. Deadpool proposes a talk right before he and Sluggo get pummeled from behind by Domino. Copycat had avoided the gun blast but now faces a very angry Domino. Domino reminds Copycat that she was held prisoner for over a year while Copycat traipsed around pretending to be Domino. To avoid getting killed, Copycat lets it slip that she knows where Cable's X-Force is holed up.

In the lavish home of Saul, X-Force has freed their friends while Sunspot gloats of Gideon's all too effective lessons of hostile take-overs. Gideon is actually pleased to see Sunspot alive, as that means that the tests that were run on the boy were a success. He does relate some feelings of disappointment, however, in the tactless manner in which X-Force has attacked the estate. Saul proposes a stalemate. Sunspot then shows Gideon a letter written by Cannonball. Cannonball states that he'd kept his promise to stay out of the External's affairs; he'd never included X-Force into that promise. As X-Force leaves, Saul whines that all these machinations were simply to lure in Cannonball so as to study him and find the secret to staying immortal. Shatterstar simply states that if the Externals keep messing with them, death will be inevitable anyway. They depart.