Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Launch Day!

A/N: Launch Day!

-x-X-x-

They were finally here. Launch Day. Alexander Pierce lets himself bask in that feeling for a moment, just as the elevator doors open and he steps out to begin walking towards where the rest of the World Security Council were waiting for him.

Well, most of them. Malick had stepped down from his position on the World Security Council as planned and ultimately would be in control of one of the six Helicarriers launching today. Pierce and his branch’s relationship with Malick and the Hive Branch of HYDRA might not have been the most copacetic at times, but after today any enmity would be a thing of the past. Not only would HYDRA be ascendant, the world bowing before their might, but also… Pierce’s branch would have three Helicarriers, and Hive would only have one.

In a world where these state of the art Helicarriers would be the new super weapons, as well as a world where Pierce had control of the Iron Legion to top things off… Gideon Malick would no longer be the most feared and powerful HYDRA head any longer. No, after today that title would fall to Pierce. How could it not?

As Pierce meets the rest of the World Security Council outside of the Triskelion, he notes the absence of one other Council Member as well. Tony Stark’s absence has the others glancing around, clearly wondering where he is.

Pierce, meanwhile, finds the smile slipping away into a frown. If Tony wasn’t here today, that could be a problem. While Zola had assured him and the other heads of HYDRA that JARVIS would be contained before the launch and Tony Stark would be left weaponless, it wouldn’t do for the man behind the technology that made up Project Insight to just… go to ground.

He was-

Pierce blinks as he suddenly hears music on the wind. Words follow the melody, even as everyone in the promenade looks up.

“Back in black

I hit the sack

I’ve been too long, I’m glad to be back

Yes, I’m let loose

From the noose

That’s kept me hanging about”

Coming flying in, in direct defiance of a dozen air traffic laws and all of SHIELD’s security protocols, is Tony Stark in one of his suits. Not just any suit either, but the one he’s rather famous now for using to fly a certain nuke through a certain portal to blow up an alien invasion fleet.

As AC/DC blares at full volume, he comes in for a landing just a few feet away from Pierce and the rest of the World Security Council.

For just a second, the Secretary feels a slight shiver down his spine, staring into the glowing eyes of the armor as it looks up at him. What if Tony knows? What if Zola missed something and JARVIS was able to overcome him? What if this is the moment where Stark decides to kill him?

Then, the song cuts off and the armor rises to its full height, splitting open in the front to let Tony Stark step out. Clad in an Armani Suit more expensive than the combined total of the rest of the WSC’s clothing, a big bright smile on his face, Tony clasps his hands together in front of him.

“Sorry if I’m late. Traffic was killer.”

The joke doesn’t go over all that well with the other Council Members, who all share looks at Tony’s flashy entrance. Chuckling softly, Pierce just shakes his head, gesturing for Tony to join the rest of the group.

“Not late at all, Councilman Stark. Just in time, in fact. Come along all of you, right this way.”

Glancing back behind him, Tony calls out to the abandoned suit.

“Go and park that somewhere nobody will bother it, J.”

“Of course, Sir.”

Closing back up, the empty suit moves away. Pierce lets himself feel a small pang of relief at that, knowing that Stark is separated from his powerful weapon. But he’ll feel even better in a moment as he turns to see his assistant present the case with the specially prepared security badges to him.

“Ah, right, just one more thing. This facility is biometrically controlled. These badges will give you unrestricted access, so please…”

Taking the case and offering it to each of them, Pierce keeps the smile off his face as each of the World Security Council, even Tony Stark, takes one of the explosive security badges and places them on their chests. Each one is primed the moment its put in place. If any of them try to remove it, they’ll die. But Pierce doesn’t expect that to happen, given that those badges represent power, influence, and station. And the members of the World Security Council all believe themselves to be the most important people in the world.

Tony gives Pierce a grin as he puts his own in place.

“Fancy. Did you make them look this cool just for me, Mr. Secretary?”

It’s in that moment that Pierce finally realizes… Tony is acting up. Honestly, he’d been worried for a little bit there. The man had actually been surprisingly quick to agree to killing Colonel Rhodes. Pierce hadn’t been sure if Tony would even do it at first, but Zola had assured him that Rhodes was dead. Currently, he was only listed as MIA, presumed captured by enemies. Pierce had seen the evidence of his demise though. And Tony had already reappropriated the War Machine Suit and had it scrapped.

All of this, from the flashy entrance to the smarmy comments… this is Tony being upset with Pierce for forcing him to pull the trigger. Good. He’s glad Stark is angry. He’s just as angry that he had to kill Nick. They’d been rather good friends, after all.

But nothing could stand in the way of HYDRA’s ascension. Not even rather good friends. And certainly not smug billionaires who thought they were untouchable just because of their intelligence.

Not letting any of those thoughts actually show on his face of course, Pierce makes sure everyone has their badge in place before turning and gesturing for them to follow.

“Come right this way, all of you. We’ll have the best seats in the house.”

-x-X-x-

The first thing he notices when he gets up to the top floor of the Triskelion with the rest of the WSC is that one of his assistants has poured the champagne too early and it’s already gone flat. Ah well, it is what it is. With a smile on his face, Pierce hands out a flute to each Council Member, and then takes one for himself as Project Insight’s Launch Countdown continues on the large screen behind him. Just two hours left to go now.

“I know the road here hasn’t been easy. Especially in the last week. We’ve lost good men and women to our enemies trying to figure out what we’re up to with this Project.”

Looking around, Pierce lets his smile turn grim.

“I’m sure it comes as a surprise to no one here that I knew Director Fury quite well. I even considered him a friend. Losing him earlier this week… hurt. It hurt more than any of you can know. Still, I know that he would have been glad to know his death was not in vain. Once the Insight Helicarriers launch, they will be able to track down his killers. And put them in the ground.”

The other Council Members look solemn as they nod their heads in agreement. All except Stark. Tony Stark just scoffs, having already drank his champagne and set aside the flute he’d been given. The man is clearly feeling immensely guilty over what he had to do to Colonel Rhodes. It’s subtle and Pierce doubts he would be able to tell if he didn’t know Tony so well… but it’s obvious that the billionaire is coming apart at the seams.

Under other circumstances, Pierce might have covered for him. They were supposed to be a team, after all. By all accounts, he should have done everything in his power to keep the attention off of Tony while he was having his little moment. But… what did it really matter, in the end? By the day’s close, Tony Stark would be dead. So why not? Why not call him out?

“Something to say, Stark?”

The startled look on Tony’s face as the other members of the World Security Council turn to him is gratifying for Pierce. Once he’d considered himself something of a mentor to the other man. Tony was far from young, but he was younger than Pierce… and Pierce was the one who brought him into HYDRA. They’d had that sort of relationship, or so he thought.

But it’s become clearer and clearer over the last couple years that Stark has let his ego get the better of him again. He’d been so much better after those three months of captivity in Afghanistan. He’d known his place when he’d first come to Pierce. But then New Mexico happened. And then New York happened. And then they’d made him a member of the World Security Council.

They’d let him get a big head. Part of that was Pierce’s fault. He shouldn’t have enabled Stark for so long. He’d helped him every step of the way, and in doing so had only given Stark every reason to become arrogant and overconfident. Tony had been winning for so long he’d forgotten what it was like to lose. At least he would never see it coming, Pierce supposed.

“You know what? Yeah, I’ve got something to say.”

Stepping forward, Stark moves over to the desk, beginning to play with the console there. Pierce doesn’t try to stop him, Zola has everything under control. And Stark doesn’t try anything anyways. He just brings up the specs for the Insight Helicarriers that he’d helped to design.

“Six next generation Helicarriers, lady and gentlemen. Six of the most powerful weapons platforms that the Earth has ever seen. And all of them synced to a network of targeting satellites that SHIELD has launched over the last six months in conjunction with Stark Industries. Let’s go down the list, shall we?”

Flicking his finger, he scrolls the screen.

“Each of these bad boys had the capacity for continuous suborbital flight thanks to your truly. Repulsor Engines each the size of this room, things I haven’t even sold to the US Military yet. Dozens of Heavy Quinjets on their decks, each one also powered by my Repulsor Technology for both travel and weaponry. Dozens of AA Batteries, each of them more powerful than pretty much any other Anti-Air tech on the planet at this time.”

Tony scrolls again, and spreads his arms apart.

“And last but certainly not least, the pièce de resistance. Long-range, precision guns with the ability to punch through everything from reinforced steel to concrete to bulletproof glass… you name it, these babies can cut through it. No one will be able to hide from these guns. Certainly not the bad guys, because of course, tying it altogether is the algorithm. My algorithm.”

Tony flashes a toothy grin at that, bringing his hands together behind his back.

“An advanced method of threat detection designed to see the problem before it becomes a problem. Terrorists in the Middle East. Gone. Alien Invaders. Dead before they can even get their bearings. The algorithm behind Project Insight is truly something else. Something that embodies the word terrifying in its entirety.”

He falls silent after that, still grinning toothily. Councilman Rockwell uses that opportunity to interject, the grumpy old man huffing as he raises an eyebrow at the eccentric, grandstanding billionaire.

“Is there a point to all of this, Stark?”

Pointing a finger at Rockwell, Tony grins.

“There is! You’re welcome!”

A ripple goes through the WSC at those egotistical words. Tony even goes so far as to take a bow.

“All that power. All of that technology… in the hands of all of you. I’ve really outdone myself this time, haven’t I? Fortunately, the best hands are our own, aren’t they? But imagine if they weren’t. Imagine, if you will, all of that power falling into the hands of people with bad intentions. People who didn’t have the world’s best interests at heart.”

He’s taunting them, Pierce realizes. Goading them, even. It’s like he wants them to realize something is wrong before the end comes. That realization brings a small smile to Pierce’s face, truth be told. Because even as Stark is messing with the rest of the Council, he has no idea what’s coming for him. He has no clue that-

Pierce’s phone suddenly vibrates in his hand. He looks down to see that he has a message from Arnim Zola, precisely the message he’s been waiting for all day long.

Zola: Stark’s program has been contained. You may proceed with neutralizing Stark at any time.

Wonderful. Pierce did so love it when a plan came together. Navigating off of the message, he brings up a very important application. In a moment, he has his finger hovering over a button.

“Yes Tony. Very well done.”

Stark turns to him then, looking him right in the eye without any idea what’s about to happen. Pierce just smiles.

“It’s too bad you won’t be there to see the world your inventions will create, Stark. But not to worry. Even if your wife proves to be unmanageable… I promise to look after your daughter for you.”

Then, just as Tony’s brow is furrowing and his mouth is opening, Pierce stabs his thumb down on the button… activating the thermite explosive in Stark’s security badge. It goes off immediately, the incredibly intense heat pouring out of the back of the badge and burning a two inch hole through Stark’s sternum that goes straight through his heart and out his back.

The look of surprise and shock on Tony’s face is honestly a little too gratifying if Pierce is being honest, even as the genius slumps to the floor, dead on the spot.

As the other Council Members start to react, Pierce holds up the phone while in the same moment loyal HYDRA guards invade the room and hold them all at gunpoint.

“I wouldn’t do anything rash, Councilmen, Councilwoman. Tony Stark is the only person in this room who has to die today if you all play your cards right. You just have to realize that it’s time to join the winning team.”

Douglas Rockwell grits his teeth, taking a step forward only to stop as half a dozen guns cock in his direction.

“What is the meaning of this, Pierce?!”

Heh, he couldn’t have asked for a better layup, really. Letting his lips curl up into a wide grin, knowing full well that the time to Project Insight’s launch is still counting down behind him, Alexander Pierce spreads his arms nice and wide and says just two words.

“Hail HYDRA.”

“““HAIL HYDRA!”””

Every single guard in the room immediately echoes the call and Pierce knows he shouldn’t… be he relishes the fear that spreads across the World Security Council’s faces. He relishes it quite a bit.

-x-X-x-

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A/N: Dun, DUN, DUUUUUUUN!!!

Oh yeah, Pierce is feeling REALLY good right now. I suppose now is when I let you guys know I'm moving to updating five days a week and taking weekends off so next chapter will be Mon-

Naaaah, I'm just fucking with you. See you all tomorrow for Chapter 78 :P