Hells Bells

The Battle of Milern

"Orders were confirmed from the Halls of Congress, break their lines"

-Military Police Command

Originally written in 2022

September 1, 2025. Washington DC, Oval Office.

STOKINS: resignation.

The tension in the room is palpable. As smoke from a new set of riots billows into the sky. The police and soldiers sent to put down or contain the riots, have either gone home, joined, or quit altogether.

GENERAL: Sir?

STOKINS: I want you to resign... this new Military bill that's making its way through the senate, has no room for people like you, who go against a clear just order. The army wants strong leaders who can think for themselves and make good of a situation untenable.

A loud boom is heard with more smoke billowing outside.

GENERAL: Sir, I am capable...

STOKINS: I gave you a presidential order, keep the conflicts small and contained. You, who is the commander of all US ground forces, should have followed this to a t. But what did you do... launch a major operation in a dimension that was willing to negotiate. Even if negotiations failed, a small force of SFs would've worked against an enemy who saw us incapable of doing so.

GENERAL: But I am the least likely...

STOKINS: The army together act is to make sure the army has commanders who will fight for the Union against enemies globally and interdimensionally. Congress and I aren't too keen on having an army commanded by generals who will side with tyranny if it will improve their standing.

The general becomes more frantic, bringing up topics unrelated to the meeting.

GENERAL: What of the Hells Bells?

STOKINS: What of it? The Hells Bells are the same as the army and were the first to be purged of unwanted narcissists. The only units that are different are the ones Rift capable and SCUs. We solved their standing in the wider military decades ago.

The president stands up and turns his back toward the general, looking out at the carnage of the angered people of his country. Back over at congress, after a fierce amount of debates and compromises the Military Together Act passes. The reform of military command and the slow down of rampant recruiting has begun.

( the Military Together Act main aim is to force incompetent and self centered generals and commanders to resign, and stop the rapid recruitment efforts that came as a result of war with China. The US military only utilizes around 50 million out of the 95 million men, with only 12 million staying on standby for combat operations. 50 million in use, 12 million ready for immediate combat operations, and 45 million in reserve. The Marines and airforce only use the men they need only keeping 1 million in reserve. The US navy's total numbers are still unknown to the wider public, but with 83,000 ships, spread out between 8 fleets in service, the mathematicians and naval experts can figure it out.)

September 4, 2025. Washington DC. Lincoln Memorial.

Armored personnel carriers and tanks stroll down the deserted streets of Washington. The riots that have encompassed the city have calmed down into protests, after the 23rd Infantry division and a task force of naval ships arrived to help plug the gaps in the police lines. President Stokins addresses the angry nation in front of the late president's memorial. The president's speech goes on about the Generals and his incompetence, and the many lives lost over the decade. His speech is drowned out by the crowd in front of him, with shouts of tyrant and warmonger. All the president does is leave, he tells the person in charge of the lines to keep the protests into peaceful ones. To avoid the president's convoy from being stopped by protesters, an osprey is called in from the Uss James Madison, anchored just outside the shallow waters of the potomac. The president speaks from a loudspeaker welded to one of the door gunner positions, he tells the masses below to keep it civil as the nation has already seen enough conflict. The helicopter makes its way to the white house, before the president redirects the pilot to his private residence in the Maryland countryside.