A 'new' EXiles story... Department H

[Mokole]

Characters are mostly Marvel's.

Earth 1818...The EXiles, Blink, Songbird, Sabretooth, Spider, Gogo Tomago, and Spiral, are put down in a secluded wooded area. They look down a slope, still under cover, and see a group of soldiers and medical personnel at work in a devastated town

Blink: Canadian soldiers. Anyone know what town that is? No? It was hit pretty hard.

Creed: Heather said this world is about to fall into a dictatorship, one run covertly by SHIELD. It is not supposed to be.

Spider: Should we go down there and find out what's going on? Maybe they just had a battle with SHIELD.

Morph: From all we've seen SHIELD isn'y exactly an army of destruction on other worlds.

Spiral: This is not other world's. SHIELD is about to rule this world entirely, and we're supposed to stop it. How do we know the town below is SHIELD's work?

Blink: Given that this is a world free of mutants and paranormals, I think Gogo should walk down and find out what she can.

Gogo Taking off her helmet: I'll see what I can do. Maybe I can find a talker.

Off she goes. The rest watch as she helps an injured woman get to a resting position. They chat and Gogo moves on to others.

Spider: This doesn't feel good.

Creed: Are we being watched?

Spider: No, nothing like that. It feels off, like we're too late, whatever happened here needed our attention an hour or two ago.

Gogo returns

Gogo: Everyone says the same thing: a big, blue monster attacked the town and destroyed everything in sight. The army came and couldn't slow it down, they used a gas attack to stop it. Some of the townfolk got gassed too. They say most everyone is dead.

Blink: Any idea where they took the monster?

Gogo: No, just that they went west. It seems we're only a couple of kilometres from the headquarters of Department H.

Creed: So let's start walking.

As they go through the woods they soon see tall building in a clearing. It is incredibly busy. There is a large hole in the wall on the north side of the building about three floors up.

Creed: I don't see how we can get close enough to do anything without getting arrested. Spiral, Blink, Spider, you three stay here and stay out of sight. The rest of us will move in and offer our help. Somehow we've got to find out what's going on here.

Sabretooth, Songbird, and Gogo head out and walk past the soldiers and into Department H unchallenged. Soon a truck drives out, straight for the three hidden EXiles.

Blink: OK, this is strange.

Spider: Isn't that Creed?

Blink: What is going on? OK you two, stay down until they pull up. I think we're expected, though.

THe truck pulls into the woods, stops, and the three pile into the back, out of sight. Creed opens the back window as the truck turns around.

Creed: It seems Department H 'saw' our arrival on their world and have been watching us. They want us inside quickly.

Spiral: So we're doing what here?

Creed: Just stay in the truck until I give the all clear. We've got a special entrance to go to that will take us away from prying eyes.

THe truck pulls into a quiet zone and all five people aboard sneak in. They go down a flight of stairs to a special elevator, which takes them to...

Judd: I am Director Eugene Judd, head of Department H. I've already met your partners, so who are you?

Blink is surprised at how calm Judd is, and that he isn't taken back by their appearances. He is maybe three feet tall and looks to be at least 70.

Blink: People call me Blink. This is Spider, and this is Spiral.

Judd: So be honest: what exactly are you?

Blink: Three different kinds of mutants, sir.

Judd: Mutants? Kinds of mutants? He turns to the driver You know what she's talking about, Langkowski?

Walter: In general, yes, but mutants like this are well outside my experience.

Blink: On other worlds people are born with special abilities, like me. Some people get them by experiments, some by accident. BUt we all wind up being called mutants.

Judd: Your man Creed here says you're from other worlds and you're here to help us against SHIELD. Too bad you're out of your league.

Creed: Beg pardon?

Judd: Six, uh, mutants aren't really going to make a difference here.

Blink: Can you bring us up to speed? We seem to be a bit misinformed. We thought this world had no paranormals but your man here seems to have some knowledge of mutants and that town was levelled by some sort of monster...

Walter: The mutants I know have 11 fingers and two hearts, stuff like that. Not purple skin or six fully-functional arms with talons.

Judd: Maybe a history lesson will help. After World War II we set up the United Nations to help keep the piece. Covertly, they set up an organization called SHIELD to put out fires before they started. I was with SHIELD for 30 years, right from the start. We did our jobs and were quiet about it. No wars, terrorists were stopped in their tracks, the world was a good place for the most part; not that little wars didn't flare up or bombs didn't go off in unexpected places, for the most part nothing bad happened. But SHIELD started to change before I left. It had always been mostly funded by the United States and the Americans tended to want SHIELD to solve problems for 'freedom and democracy'. It didn't mean an end to cruelty or dictatorships but that wasn't the point. The U.N. wasn't out to interfere in every country's politics.
Then about 15 years ago a missile sank an American destroyer. SHIELD could've gone into the offending country and dealt with it by force before it happened but it really that wasn't possible at that time. The Americans created a big fuss and the head of SHIELD, Brüne Van Der Saar, was forced out and so was most of SHIELD's hierarchy. When the dust settled a man named Ross was in charge and he really answered to the American president. After a year I had enough and retired. SHIELD had turned into a 'weapon' of change, disturbing world order. Even though I was out I still had a couple of friends.
They told me that Ross was gone quickly and a guy named Anthony Stark was in, a golden boy.Looks at Walter He was brilliant but a bit, well, unstable. SHIELD was now fully integrated with the U.S. and went out to get the rest of the world in line with 'freedom and democracy'. Leaders fell, trade policies changed, it all happened so fast.
One thing Stark also brought to SHIELD was new weapons. He had something called the Guardsman armour that he sold to several armies. But he stopped making them and everyone quickly found out that the armoured units he sold to the Americans were vastly superior, they made tanks and jets virtually obsolete as weapons of war. Naturally other countries didn't want to become vassals of America so they tried to develop their own armour.
Britain and Brazil were stopped early on but some countries got to a point where they could challenge the U.S. armour. The U.S. couldn't attack, but SHIELD could.
Stark had his best scientists set up 'disasters' to clear out an area, then he'd send in his SHIELD armour, Iron Men we call them, to take out the 'enemy. China and Japan were building robots, next thing you know a virus shuts down the area around the manufacturing plant, no media, the Iron Men go into battle and wipe out the robots. SHIELD then takes no prisoners. The 'plague' is blamed for the disaster at the plant. Russia had Dynamo armour and I heard it was a match for the Iron Men. Next thing a nerve gas attack drives people out, same story repeats.

Creed: Sounds like your SHIELD is pretty cutthroat.

Judd: I'd say so! Stark has surrounded himself with scientists, not soldiers, and he lets them experiment as they please. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, it's pretty hard to match wits with SHIELD no matter how you look at it.

Blink: So what's going on now?

Judd: Well, Canada has been friends with the U.S. for a long time so SHIELD left us alone, being allies and all. But when the Iron Men started taking out the competition I was brought back to run Department H and try and maneuver us into safety. For two years it worked but now we're out of luck. I had brought in some of the best minds I could, guys like Langkowski here, already a Nobel prize winner two times over and not even thirty; Alec Thorne, maybe smarter than Walter but a bit scatterbrained; Roger Bochs and James Hudson, two engineers who know most technology inside out. I let them run whatever project they wanted with the hope that they could come up with discoveries without SHIELD interference. It didn't last.
That hole in our building? SHIELD snuck in a spy who planted a bomb there. We were snookered but good. Thorne and Bochs were killed.

Spider: What has SHIELD got against you.

Judd: Honestly, a lot. Langkowski et al were a challenge to SHIELD's best. Me being ex-SHIELD makes me a 'traitor'. And I had my scientists working on one of my projects... the Guardian armour. SHIELD found out. Plus, we may be allies but we aren't in SHIELD's alignment, so that won't be tolerated anymore. They created that monster, blew a hole in us to make it look like we created the beast and it got away from us, destroying everything in its path.

Creed: Doesn't seem to fit the SHIELD M.O. you gave us. What's up?

Judd: We're the last organization with any power not under SHIELD control. Even the Canadian P.M. bows at their feet now, but he refused to shut us down. He'll be out of a job by the morning. Richards probably created the beast and SHIELD will take us down without a doubt. They don't need to hide anymore, who's going to stop them? There's no point to covertness is secrecy is just busywork. Then Stark will proclaim SHIELD and the Iron Men the world's protector and go about his business of ruling by the President's side. For now. I can't see Stark living with that arrangement. He's got the Iron Men, an army of them, better tech, better scientists, better spies. If he takes us down there'll be no one left.

Spiral: Won't the populace support you?

Langkowski: SHIELD has been pulling string to make us look like Nazi eugenicists. 'The monster was created by Department H, how many more abominations are held within those walls?' Not much we can do about it.

Blink: We can help. We've won tougher battles before.

Judd: Look at yourselves. If you show up the world will see the 'monsters' the media says we've created. All we've got is our army and twelve Guardians. They'll give the Iron Men all they're worth but they won't last long enough. This time the 'glorious Iron Men' will fly in and destroy the evil that is Department H, to world acclaim. Before the clean-up is over we'll be an American protectorate and SHIELD will rule the world.


End of Part I.

[Mokole]

Part II;

Judd confers with Langkowski and Hudson. The EXiles also unite to discuss their options.

Creed: They haven't even asked what we can do. They think all we can do is make things worse.

Walter: It's not that, exactly. If we fight and win, how long can that last? SHIELD can bring in dozens more. We could simply surrender but Stark won't allow that, he wants this to look good for the cameras, a good clean fight and the white hats out in front.

Gogo: What can you do to stop the attack?

Judd: Nothing. SHIELD is calling the shots and they'll come in hot and heavy. I expect at least 30 Iron Men. Remember, they let loose that monster and they'll have to deal with it too. I'm sure Richards has it all planned out but plans can fail. Gremlins, wrenches...

Hudson: And that leads to another issue. You can't be here when they attack, so leave now. SHIELD knows you're here but they don't know what you are. That's probably why they haven't attacked already, they're wondering what's going on with you.

Blink: That can be used to our advantage. Outside of Spider and Spiral we'd be easy to camouflage in battle...

Judd: No way! There is no way we will risk SHIELD capturing any one of you. Richards is a brilliant man but he has absolutely no morals. He'll be so overjoyed at getting any of you that he'd pee his pants for days. Then he'll do everything he can to you to find out what you are, before disecting you to find the source of your abilities. I'm sure SHIELD's spies have already hit upon what you look like from their spies, or their satellites.

Spider: There must be some way we can fix this mess. That's why we're here, to make sure you don't lose.

Blink: We've been to several worlds with their own version of Department H. I've met most of you, though not like this. This is the first world we've been to without paranormals. Langkowski, in other places you...

Walter: Honestly, we don't need to know! We have no idea what SHIELD is doing right now and we don't need them finding out that other universes exist.

An alarm goes off

Judd: Battle stations!! I want everyone in position! Guardians, stay under cover until the Iron Men appear, which may be real soon!

Creed: EXiles, stay put. Let's see what their up against before making any more moves. Spider was right, this whole scenario is off. What was Heather thinking? She must have known enough to know the problems we'd create just by being here.

Spiral: Does it matter? Six people have seen us and know what we are. If we go home who's to say they won't be captured and made to tell all about us? If Richards and Stark are really that bad shouldn't we deal with them anyway?

Blink: Good point. Director Judd, do you know where SHIELD keeps it's top personnel?

Judd: Not that I'm supposed to, but yes. Why?

Blink: I have a plan that should give you an edge....

In the SHIELD HeliShip, the Iron Men are given their orders by Agent Wells. 5 platoons of agents are backing them up. Wells checks with Agent Fiver to make sure that the media is in position to watch the spectacle.

Wells: Some will be caught in the crossfire but that is acceptable. Take out the Guardians and find the Monsters, we know they have at least one. Engage the monsters but if it gets too hot pull back, we have backup plans to deal with any unknowns. Questions? Good. Move out in 2.

On the ground the HeliShip has been spotted. Soldiers head to cover the perimeter while other personnel rush inside for safety.

Judd: This is it. Are your people ready, James?

Hudson: There's nothing more I can do. Good luck, Eugene. I hope your family is left alone.

Judd: Fat chance. No prisoners. I wish I had one good, clear shot at Stark...

Hudson: But you don't use guns...

Judd: AS if I need a gun for that son of a....

The Iron Men are launched. Their are 35. The Guardians get set to go.

Hudson: You know the plan. Nobody be a martyr. Godspeed.

The Guardians rise and the battle is joined. An incredible amount of firepower is on display. The SHIELD platoons find themselves pinned down by the Canadian soldiers. The Guardians are too few in number to contain the Iron Men but one Guardian seems to be moving fast enough to make things even.

Blink: Gogo is making things interesting. Those suits of yours are mighty impressive.

Walter: There not my suits, really. Their James. Up until three months ago I did genetic and biological work, Thorne did neurological, Bochs had his robots. Then Judd put all four of us on James' team when it became obvious that SHIELD had plastered a bullseye on us. Thorne improved the cyberhelmet interface, Bochs worked on the shields and power transfers, and I did work on the controls and weapons. Really all we did was improve on James' work, those are his babies. Though without Thorne's improvements your Tomago couldn't be out there now, we never could've attuned the suit to her brain like with James' old design.

Blink: Nobody around. Your Director handles things well. Is the monster in there?

Walter: Yes. Are you sure you can pull this off?

Creed: Divide and conquer, always a good strategy. We've got confusion on our side. Gogo is making them work for it.

Walter: There's the signal. You're sure you can do this?

Blink: No reason why not. Let's go.

All six enter the room. They see the monster. Over 8 feet tall, blue, beastly looking. The skin almost looks like armour itself. Four eyes.

Walter: Ever see anything like this in your travels?

Creed: For once I think we're all surprised.

Blink sizes up the monster and lets fly. The monster vanishes. Next goes Creed. Then she Blinks herself, Spider and Spiral too.

Walter: I saw it and I still don't believe it. If this works I'll work on the Literature Nobel, nobody will believe this ever happened.

Creed and the monster appear on the HeliShip and begin tearing it to pieces. SHIELD is clearly caught off guard. The HeliShip starts to go down. Several Iron Men notice and turn to go help but it's too late. Five Guardians are down but the rest are still in it to win. The Shield ground forces are closing in on Department H but when they see the careening HeliShip they scatter.

Judd: Pour it on! Don't let them get any closer! Push them back, support the Guardians! We've got them!

The SHIELD ship careens into the woods and explodes. As the camera rolls the monster leaves the burning hulk and advances on the troops guarding Department H. Judd walks over to one media crew.

Judd: I thought that monster was supposed to be a Canadian creation. How come it was on that SHIELD ship instead? Pretty fishy.

Meanwhile, Blink, Spider and Spiral appear at SHIELD headquarters. Spiral meets Reed Richards.

Richards: Amazing! You're marvelous!

Spiral: You're dead.

And that's how it goes. Spider and Spiral kill everyone they see and that is a lot of people, soldiers, assistants, Grimm, Storm, Von Doom. Blink goes to find Tony Stark. She finds him in an Iron Man suit, a big and heavily armed one. He barks at her to surrender, then he blinks away....

Hudson: I want all Guardians to defend the building! We've got to keep that monster away!

Judd: Not a problem. I see we have another visitor.

Iron Man Stark appears, right in the monster's path. He has no choice but to engage it as it right on top of him, charging in.

Judd: That Blink sure has great aim.

Hudson: More luck, I'd wager. How would she know where to aim, anyway. Pure luck.

Even with his best Armour Stark can't take down the monster. He jets away. 31 Iron Men are still in flight and they follow him.

Stark: No, you idiots! Go after Department H! We have to finish what we started!

Iron Man: But sir, what should we do about Richard's monster?

Stark: Let it be! Just stay out of its way and it'll help you take down those bastidges! We're not going to let those Canadians get away with this.

Iron Man: But sir...

Stark: No buts!!! Get in there and wipe out anything that moves!! I want that area to be ablaze within ten minutes!!!

Hudson: Whatever you say, Mr. Stark. By the way, you're live to the entire world. Anything else you'd like to say about SHIELD's monster, or your inavsion of Canada?

Stark (spluttering): What's going on? Who are you? How did you get on this channel?!?

Hudson laughs and gives no reply. As Stark ascends he hears about the disaster at SHIELD HQ. He is livid. Before he realizes it a Guardian rockets into him and knocks him out of the sky.

Gogo: Keep your head up, Mr. Stark. You will need to look pretty for the cameras.

Stark finds his attacker hit him well. No more flying capability, he figures, but he's not going to let that stop him. He uses what weapons he has left to blast Department H. Another Guardian gets in the way, diverting all power to its forcefield that it can. Stark doesn't have the weapons to destroy it. His Iron Men have reduced the Guardians to just four and his platoons are taking out the soldiers. He smiles and orders a final assault.

Stark: Destroy everything! Nothing gets left alive!

The soldiers and Guardians fall back, even Gogo. Then Stark notices something about seven stories up... And then a flash obscures his vision.

Judd: Who knew we could cobble together an energy cannon in three months?

Walter: Well, you did have for people it a gift for innovation under pressure. Should we give them another blast?

Judd: If we can. It took long enough to put it together, I wish we could've had it ready before the battle begun. Target the troop carriers.

Another blast rips out. The SHIELD platoons have no choice but to retreat. The monster doesn't like the light and gets confused. Stark tries to rally his platoons but they are not about to face that gun again. Stark orders the Iron Men to take it out.

Hudson: Here come the Iron Men.

Judd: Concentrate your fire on them everyone. This is the our last chance.

The Iron Men make it through the attack but find the Guradians waiting. Then the canon goes off again.

Judd: That did it, it's burned out. How many did we get?

Walter: I count 12. That leaves 12 Iron Men still out there. And we're almost out of bodies.

Hudson: We came close. Think we made a difference? Director Judd? Where is he?

Suddenly they see Director Judd running from the building, straight at Stark. Stark doesn't see the small old man charging him. Judd throws something at him and Stark screams.

Judd: How do you like them apples, Stark? Your tin can can be short-circuited just like any machine. And my people know short circuits, belive me.

Stark: Judd! You cretin! I'll tear you apart with my bare hands if I have to! What have you done! When I'm finished with you people will think Hitler wasn't so bad after all!

Suddenly Creed attacks Stark. Without power Stark has little chance to defend himself. Creed then disappears into the bush.

Judd: Anthony Stark, by order of the Canadian Government I'm placing you under arrest. Tell your troops to stand down.

Stark: Bite me.

The twelve Iron Men and all the SHIELD troops are at Department H's door. Then they all collapse. So does the monster. Stark is stunned.

Stark: Wha.. What did you do? What kind of weapon was that??

Judd: Beats me. Works good, whatever it is.

A man in a wheelchair comes out of Department H, look around, then goes back in. Judd feels a little faint but keeps his feet.

Judd: Hudson! Get a couple of Guardians over here. Take Stark into custody. And disarm him, too!

Hudson: You heard the director, Lafleur, Gagner, move out.

Walter: I can't believe we did it. And Silzer says reports are on ANN that SHIELD headquarters was demolished, with massive loss of life. Do you think Russia still had some Crimson Dynamos hidden away?

Judd: Your guess is as good as mine. I can't believe SHIELD made this big a blunder. A daylight assault, cameras rolling. Stark shown for the dictator wannabe he is. If the Guardians hadn't held out so long, if the sleep gas hadn't worked, if the HeliShip hadn't failed... man, we were in a hurricane today and barely felt a breeze.

Hudson: It isn't everyday that this much luck falls our way. I wish Bochs could see this, though.

Judd: Our wives will never believe us. Good thing there was so much media coverage. Man, I still can't believe Stark would be such an egomaniac that he thought he could pull this off.

Walter: Seeing that monster dissolve as something too. I can't find a trace of it. Silzer says that SHIELD is on fire. If Richards is dead we may never know how he made that monstrosity.

Judd: Good riddance to bad rubbish. If no one can make anything like that ever again I'll die happy. Let's go help the wounded, this mess will take days to clean up.

Silzer: Sir? The United Nations wants a full report. They say SHIELD is going to be shut down.

Judd: Huh, we'll see what the President has to say about that. SHIELD still has a lot of spies around...

Hudson: But no one to give them direction. We'd better get everyone on side before the U.S. can get SHIELD reorganized. Time's a wasting.


-Back home, the EXiles revel in their victory. The Professor Xavier from Earth 3264 did alright, nobody knows the EXiles were there. Heather says the timeline has been restored, though she's not exactly pleased with Spiral and Spider wiping out so many scientists. But what cans he do?

Heather: Take a breather, team. In a few hours you'll be headed to Earth 2116, where Namor has nukes and is about to use them...



Judd: You know, one thing we need to do is dust off Bochs' plans. His robots would be a good addition to the Guardians.

Hudson: I doubt we could call them Guardians, too.

Walter: How about Box Robots? Roger would've liked that.

Judd: I just had an odd thought. How does Alpha Flight sound for a team name?

Hudson: Where did you come up with that?

Judd: Don't know, it just feels like Department H needs an Alpha Flight.


The End.


So everyone, was this better or my other EXiles story?