Marvel Iron Age: S.H.E.I.L.D
Holland’s Gambit Intro
@batkevin74@joshmightbe@cbishop@impurestcheese@tommythehitman
Colorado,
The Vault:
Comander Augustus Holland stood in the meeting room of the base he had occupied. He had agents reporting in daily to the rest of the Iron Army. All was going to plan. Nobody had the slightest clue he had taken the base housing some of the most dangerous people on the planet. When he went through he found people he could use against the army. Apparently there was no shortage of volunteers for what he had in mind. Not from a single prisoner that had been forced here. Of course he had to refuse many. He wouldn't release anyone that would use this as an excuse to kill as many people as possible. Whether they supported him or not. And some just wanted him as dead their jailers. “Some people were much too dangerous. ” Holland had thought as he went over his topics in his head.
In the room were high ranking S.H.I.E.L.D agents that remained in North America after the Wide Awake attack on New Latveria. Officially as part of the treaty signed after the Battle of Doomstadt these agents weren’t even on the continent. Holland noted a few absent faces and more than one looking at him with unconfirmed suspicion. He started, “I know. My calling all of you here seems like a trap. Hell if Carol Danvers had asked me to do the same thing the same question would be on my mind. I assure you this is not the case.”
Holland pressed a button on the wall behind him were scenes of crisis’s all over the planet for the Iron Army. There was the fires in Madripoor, Turkey and Ares on the battle field. Also the return of Cable. “Put simply, our enemy is distracted with new fronts opening. I’m proud to say the enemy I’ve been fighting since before some of your grandparents were even born is showing weakness. In this war… I’ve seen cycles. Cycles of victory. Hope. Despair. For the first time I can see the end. But a real victory cannot be won by a few good patriots dawning costumes. Or even soldiers like us that somehow achieve the impossible every day we wake up to keep fighting.”
“To achieve a real victory. It has to start here. Where this all began.” The screen behind him turned into the image of the crater that had once been Minneapolis. 500,000 were citizens in open revolt against the Iron Army. 500,000 free men, woman and children were dead. But for a moment in the Empire’s history it was beaten by this one example of rebellion. Too some it was a symbol of failure. Many resources that could have gone to the very agents in the room with Holland were diverted to Minneapolis. To the Commander it was an inspiration.
“200 years ago the Supreme Commander rose to prominence right here in America. It is here where he has to be beaten. That’s why I brought you to the Vault. Minneapolis was a miracle.” Holland said as he could plainly see the eyes roll on a few faces in his audience. “I am going to create another. Right here in Colorado.”
The agents stirred and whispered amongst themselves in frenzy. Holland looked at them hard. It was like pulling teeth to get some of them here. More than a few of them were even attracted by the celebrity of seeing one of the few people left that have seen the war with Stryfe from the begging. Holland had no time for any of it. “I am going to take over this state. And Dangle it in Stryfe’s…” Holland paused as he was sure that some of them had never of even heard that name before and continued with the more commonly used, “Supreme Commander’s face. If one city is enough to make him feel threatened enough to silence it as he did, imagine an entire state under our control and what that says to the entire world.”
“Commander Holland!” A female agent shot to her feet and smacked the table. Her face turned red as she gritted her teeth. “The Supreme Commander shot the subject of your rousing speech into space! And even if it were possible we don’t have the numbers, the resources or the means to keep a man and his army that’s capable of taking over the world out of the state! It’s impossible, sir!”
“It would be an out-right act of war!”
“The Queen would never agree to this plan. She’d never send the troops we’d need!”
“The whole Iron Army would be upon us in hours!”
“Enough!” Holland roared and at once the dissenting voices were silenced. “I am aware taking a state is impossible. Without New Latveria backing this op, even more so. ”
"Does the Queen even know about this?"
Holland ignored the outburst. The image behind Holland changed into the holographic displays of every Iron Hall in the state. The images floated to every Shield agent in the room. It showed scenes of sabotage and attack preparations. “As we speak our allies are awaiting my orders.”
Holland further explained now to interested and critical ears, “In an hour every Iron Hall in the state will be cut off from the outside. We will have control of their communications. Their Iron Halls full of unjustly imprisoned will be on our side and fighting Iron soldiers. Thirty minutes later we’ll have a fleet of Sentinel’s patrolling the borders and putting down resistance which may be light or heavy in others. I’m going to give the enemy the impression of overwhelming force.”
“In five hours we will have occupied several counties. The Iron men will be so occupied trying to get reinforcements that their own prisoners and weapons will be upon them before the outside even know that Colorado is under attack. “Holland continued to explain.
“This has to be all theoretical. No way can we occupy large swaths of land and cities.” An agent spoke up. “How are you going to get the people for all of this?”
Holland smiled and answered, “We’re in a prison housing some of the most dangerous persons on the planet. We had the Triskelion set up just a few miles away from here believe it or not. S.H.I.E.D’s always had friends in Colorado. Insiders on our side. I just needed an excuse to call.”
Then the wave of voices started. Of course most agents sat down in respectful silence and went over the data in front of them a vocal minority however had things to say, like:
“This is insane!”
“You’ll destroy us!”
“I’m not giving my men to some half thought out suicide mission!”
“Holland you can’t do this!”
“I’m leaving!”
Holland nodded and raised a hand. “I understand. Right now you must all think I’m a nut-cage. I don’t hold a grudge against anyone who wants to leave. Nor do I envy those who will stay. But I appreciate it. But leaving is going to be… impossible.”
The room grew deathly quiet. The agents that had got up to exit turned around. Holland stood straight with his arms at his side. His voice was strong and official as he said, “I will now be perfectly honest with all of you. I lied to all of you. You are all here because I need experienced leaders. Soldiers. We are going to have a wave of new battle hungry recruits in just a few hours.”
The holoscreens produced images of mutants from the Vault taking Iron Halls and freeing prisoners alongside Shield agents. Iron Army outposts and communication sites were bursting into balls of hot plasma. Iron soldiers were being forced to retreat as they were being fired on by operatives wearing armor likes theirs. It was hard to tell friendly fire from legitimate counter attacks. Holland’s face set like stone at the agents that waited for his next answer, “My invasion started as soon as you all sat down for this meeting.”
“Now let me explain the rest.”
To be continued
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