Planning

[time_dancer]

Val's room is something like a mix between a New York warehouse studio and a high tech lab. Instruments glow and beep along one wall and the windows (or are the flat screen monitors?) show the New York skyline in the early evening of Autumn. Over the center wall is a large portrait of the Fantastic Four family; Reed, Susan, Johnny, Ben, Alicia, Val, Franklin, and Jennifer figure prominately. On an opposite wall another family portrait shows a happy Susan with a seemingly equally happy Victor von Doom (in armor), an older Franklin (teen aged) and Val. Over by the lab area there is a dry erase board with the words "Save Johnny" written very large.

There is a round table in the center of the room with enough chairs for everyone. Food and drink (digital variations are present) are on a side table next to plates and cups. Floating above the table is a 3D holo-map showing a flat asteroid about the size of a couple football stadiums with several smaller asteroids floating about it. There is a red light blinking just off the center of the large rock island.

"So here's the landscape. Aunt Jen, you've had more experience with the Negative Zone. Would you mind explaining its nature for us?" Val asks once everyone is settled. All traces of her usual cheery self are gone, today Val is all business. At the head of the table there are also a few floating screens showing several different species of the insectoids and some stills of the character of N-Zone space.

Comments

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

"Of course I will, Val."

Jen beams a maternal, warm smile at Val.

"Okay, ladies and gents and in between, here's what we're facing."

She gestures at one of the screens showing Negative Zone landscape.

"Firstly, getting there. I know Val's got a portal, but getting there for some people is a profoundly disorienting experience. You might hallucinate vividly, see colors and abstract shapes, or get nauseous and dizzy. I suggest a large dose of ginger before we leave as a precautionary preparation. I'll bring ice cubes for people to chew on just in case. You might pass out but don't worry, you'll wake up quickly.

"Next up: the terrain may seem sparsely inhabited, but there are life forms, almost all of them hostile to humans and mutants from various Earths."

She points at one of Val's screens showing an insectoid.

"This is one of the nicer ones, and it'd eat you in a New York second. There are other planets in the Negative Zone, but for our purposes, they're irrelevant. The three most imporant things we need to be aware of: the Tyannans, Blastaar, and Annihilus. The Tyannans are the self-proclaimed rulers of the Negative Zone, but they're mostly benign towards humans. In fact, they may even help us if they bother to notice us. They tend to be self-absorbed.

"Blastaar is an evil bastard who, oddly, has fought on the side of good a few times. He was supposedly dead - he got stomped to presumed death during a universe-spanning war two years ago, but I hear that he got better. The reason I mention him is that he claims rulership of the Negative Zone and doesn't like humans intruding on his fiefdom.

"The more important threat is Annihilus. He's got legions of bug-eyed monsters at his beck and call and if he knows we're in the Negative Zone, he'll set them on us quicker than you can eat a slice of grandma's peach pie. There's more, but let me pause for questions. Any questions?"

[will_scarlett]

Jen's description makes Will think of the Amberites and nods,

"Aye, get in, get out an keep quiet as we can?"

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

"We'll no doubt be noticed. Annihilus's soldiers have overrun the place and are everywhere, and there are other creatures native to the Negative Zone that are aggressive. Some of them are fortunately easily frightened and subdued. The place has a certain beauty to it once you get used to the strangeness. But yes, get in, get out, and be as quiet as possible."

[time_dancer]

"I don't know if Annihilus is at the site so if you see any of these guys with bat-like wings, alert Jen or myself. He is big, nasty and has given experienced meta-powered individuals a run for their money."

[a1enzo]

Enzo, whose plate is piled high with food from the Special Dietary Needs section, swallows hastily. "What're their capabilities? Any of them, I mean."

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

"Val, I assume you've got a stable portal? Were you able to get a portal close to Johnny's location?

"Val's right - if you see bat-like wings, yell for us. They are not to be trifled with. Super strength, large numbers, sentient and likely upset we're there. They might have weapons. Val's right, though - Annihilus might be off in a snit trying to conquer other planets. Sadly, though, he might have left a guard behind him so he can retreat to the Negative Zone if need be.

"Enzo, what defensive capabilities do you have?"

[time_dancer]

"Actually, I'll be the gate," Val says a bit shyly. "I can make portals now which function just like a doorway. I can bring us to within a kilometer of uncle Johnny or farther out if we want to get an idea of what we are going up against first. All the info we have is from the point of view of that cameras in Dad's lab."

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

"I'm impressed, kiddo. I suggest getting as close to Johnny as possible, but it's up for a vote as far as I'm concerned."

Her businesslike tone falters and her voice sounds weary with worry.

"What condition is Johnny in?"

[time_dancer]

"I…" Val says before needing to clear her throat. "I'm not sure. The last the cameras caught was that Johnny was being overwhelmed by the horde, Annihilation wave, whatever you want to call it. With the time stamps, I'll be putting us right after the vibranium shield closed so I am hoping he won't be too hurt. I don't want to go earlier as that might cause a paradox as uncle Ben has already told me what happened before then and we have the cameras to prove it."

[a1enzo]

Enzo uses the time Val takes to answer her question to engulf several more bytes of binary burger. Then he stands briefly and pats a dingus attached to his belt.

"Force field. It's self-recharging, but heavy fire might take it down faster than it can refresh. I've also got my grapnel, for evasive manoeuvres. And judo."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen's only half listening to anything anyone says. She's too busy peering at the various pictures, and the holo-map and insect species displays. Especially the displays. If she sees even one little green three-fingered beady-eyed species in there, there are going to be flames.

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

Jen nods in acknowledgement at Enzo.

"Think you can judo flip a giant bug?"

She smiles.

"Good for the force field. You'll need it. You've got skills we need."

She turns to Ellen.

"Ellen, I'm presuming you're bringing some BFGs? Is Fawkes joining us?"

[a1enzo]

Enzo beams. "Sure can."

They cover these things in class. Besides Games, not all viruses are humanoid.

And now, the actual planning

[time_dancer]

"Thank you, Aunt Jen," Val says once all questions about the Negative Zone are covered. "Now we should talk about tactics." As she speaks the hologram map expands to detail the blinking red dot.

"This is the portal Johnny is defending. I am assuming he is here, somewhere. Basically we need to get to him and establish defensible perimeter so I can port us out. I'll likely need maybe fifteen seconds to make the gate and keep it up. I'm not that familiar with tactics though so if anyone has any ideas beyond charging in and smashing bugs, I'm open."

Re: And now, the actual planning

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

"I'm reluctant to say this, but I think we should split into two groups to double our chances. One group has the advantage of more power and smashing through the Annihilation Wave, two groups has that advantage plus possibly stealth. If possible. Once they notice us, we're in for a very nasty fight. So I'm thinking flank Johnny from the left and right."

Re: And now, the actual planning

[time_dancer]

"Would it help for one team to make as much 'noise' as we can? If one team can draw most of the attention it could make it easy for the other team to reach Johnny. We have a lot of guns, we could keep firing from a distance."

She hopes this is a reasonable suggestion but she really doesn't know. All she knows is that she has to save Johnny and get everyone back home.

Re: And now, the actual planning

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

"Do you have images of how many bugs Johnny is facing? If he's surrounded by hundreds or thousands, that's as good a plan as any. I hate to say it, Val, but we're facing poor odds for the non-superpowered. I could go in by myself and get him, but not if there are overwhelming numbers of bugs. They could snatch him from me. Good job on being able to make portals, though, kiddo - you sneaky girl, you."

Impulsively she leans over and puts an arm around Val's shoulders and plants a maternal kiss on Val's forehead.

[slayer_fray]

Mel shakes her hair back from her head at the idea of the team splits.

"I'm good with sneaking," she volunteers. "Professional thief, here."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I've... actually I think I'm out of Stealth Boys," Ellen says. "Sorry. But if you want noise I can bring plenty of that. Mjolnir's pretty spectacular when it fires, more so than my plasma rifle, so it tends to draw enemy attention."

She's trying very hard not to think of uncounted thousands of those bug things when she says that. It's not a pleasant image.

[time_dancer]

Jen's comment about portals brings an idea to Val though she's warning between blushing and tearing up at Jen's tenderness.

"What if we port in the safe location I've picked out here," Val says pointing at a basin between two hills, "then check out the lay of the land. If I see an area near Uncle Johnny that's clear enough, I could make more portals and we could jump much closer. I would have to make sure I had a lot of calories in me before all this though, that would take a lot of energy out of me and I'll need to make sure I have enough to get us back."

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

"You are eating a pastrami on rye immediately. Followed by an electrolyte beverage and an energy bar."

Jen will brook no disagreement here.

"I don't know about the basin. We can't get the lay of the land if we're between hills. On the other hand, a hilltop exposes us. I still vote for hilltop for the cavalry charge."

Jen thinks for a moment.

"I could do stealth. I could do noise. What do you think, Val?"

[time_dancer]

Val's tempted to argue that she has nutritional supplements in her armor but decides to let it go cause really can you argue with pastrami?

"I really don't know," she replies as combat tactics is really beyond her but then she does what she always does when faced with something she is unfamiliar with; she looks to her family for insight. "This is almost a glorified quarterback blitz if you really look at it. Granted we're rescuing our quarterback and the other team vastly out numbers us. I honestly stopped counting at a million by the way. But with some creative use of my gates, I think we can do this. What about one team goes stealth and the other makes noise to cover. I've got a lot of ranged options as far as attacks go, how about I lead the 'noise' team and you go for the stealth Aunt Jen?

"The number are vast, no getting around that but we won't really be facing that many at one time. They will be getting in each others way and as soon as we have Uncle Johnny, we are out of there. We don't need to worry about carving a retreat."

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

"I want Ellen on my team," Jen replies. "So I can keep an eye on her. But stealth makes sense. The problem is, once they see us, baby will go boom. The fights are noisy what with the villainous exposition they're going to subject us to. And I'm betting news will travel fast - the entire Wave is going to know we're there. Either way, stealth won't last long I'm afraid. I could be wrong. I'm just laying out the worst case scenario as I see it. Let's try for stealth and see what happens. Maybe they won't communicate as effectively as I think. And a little ambush never hurt anyone, did it?"

Jen grins evilly.

[unbreakableben]

"Works for me," Ben adds with a grin. He's been quiet and standing at parade rest but absorbing the details. "As far as noise goes, are there any extra boom sticks? I could help with the bombardment until we get close enough for me to lay the smack down."

[gammagammahey.livejournal.com]

Jen is almost startled by Ben's statement. She hadn't realized a Ben was there.

"Ben? Is that you?" She grins widely. "I haven't seen you since Ellen led us through Olney."