Lance flies down to the transport C-130 cargo ramp his Fiery Wings scorching the concrete and winking out as he lands on the metal ramp. He carefully takes his seat checking his thrust ports to make sure they don't melt any of the restraint harnesses.

"Well as for brainstorming... I think if I could get an overview of their advance... and some coordination with fire and rescue.. I could lay down a fire break to try to herd any advancing swarm away from escaping civis or even to a kill zone for Aerial bombardment."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:34, Tue 06 Sept 2016.

When Eddy came aboard (in 'native amercan' armour and bow), he made himself comfortable in the back seat.
He didn't have much more to contribute to the discussion ... having used up his quota of 'one good idea' earlier on this morning.

Nightmare boards in full regalia, three-piece black suit, fedora, black trench coat, domino mask. The only thing remarkable at all is the longish case he carries. As he moves to a seat on the bench, he bemoans the fact that they won't let him in the cockpit. "Without a simulator, the only way I can get my hours up is by sitting in, but they won't let do that except on training missions. We haven't done any of those."

Muldoon's question had rung in his head the entire flight.

Osc took a deep breath; he had a lot to say,
"Team, I have many ideas, as you know.  I'm concerned that Barnes was unwilling to acknowledge this may be the result of secret USA weapons development, but that should be irrelevant to the task -- except I'm sure they have more data on the subjects.

We blame the Russians constantly, but this was no Russian plot I think.

I'm guessing this will literally be a bug hunt, so the issue will be finding the Queen.  And we don't have any insight into that.

Again the team has no telepath so we can't use the weak insect minds to our advantage.

What are our strengths here, besides the obvious powers?  None of us know the area, we are not radiation resistant (or are you, Muldoon?  Nightmare?), none of us know much about insects, and no pheromone powers (uh, right Poco?).

Frankly, all we are being set up to do is go toe to toe with potentially deadly mutANTs with a whole plethora of potentially deadly powers.  I don't like it."

Osc waited to hear from the next person.  (And He wondered if he could patent or trademark the mutANT name?) 
This message was last edited by the player at 07:07, Thu 08 Sept 2016.

In reply to Oscillator (msg # 35):

Sunphoenix raises his hand, "Uhm.. Osc.. I'm like completely immune to any ...and I do mean ANY hostile environment... Vacuum, Artic, inside a volcano, surface of the freaking sun... Hiroshima after initial blast... my body adapts... absorbing solar radiation to fuel my biological process... I... er only 'breathe' so I can vibrate the air to speak!  I AM nuclear-powered...so to speak, heck the main reason the Military keeps an eye on me is because their afraid... I MAY indeed be able to go nuclear... unleashing Atomic blasts... potentially on command someday... regardless of the fact I have absolutely NO interest in such destructive power!  But honestly.. I can't really blame them for wanting to keep someone with that kind of potential power under close watch, that would scare the Hell out of me too.. but it still sucks~ for me, not like I wanted to have this kind of power.  But yeah, I can go anywhere those mutANTS have been... no worries."

He chuckles, "...but really military secret project for giant carnivorous ants... I'm not buying that. Most normal creatures exposed to high Radiation just get the DNA screwed up and their biological processes messed up an eventually die like being poisoned.  Thus far only certain humans with a existing anomaly in their genome develop superpowers but that external stimulus need not necessarily be radiation...chemical exposure has caused a genesis of powers too.  But thus far its been too random to figure it out.  I think it more likely human gene-experiments like the Russians are doing is more likely."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:26, Thu 08 Sept 2016.

Eddy simply grinned a huge cat smile ... and let rip a huge fart that filled the helicopter cabin.
That chilli-tuna he had last night had come through right at the appropriate moment.

In reply to Poco Tehuantl (msg # 37):

...Lance mutters, not hiding a chuckle very well, '...now I'm glad I don't breathe...'

"Och, cor!  Sod off, you!" Vos coughed, fanning the air with her hand desperately.

Nightmare says, quietly, "it might be something... beyond science. Gaia fed up by the way her children soil their own nest; it wouldn't be the first time she's expressed her displeasure through giANTs. Perhaps the myrmidons didn't all fall at Troy, and their remnants have relocated to the new world to escape persecution. The Manichees hold that one of the lower classes of demon soldiers are properly termed myrmidons, perhaps these are them."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:33, Fri 09 Sept 2016.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 40):

Lance smiles, "..I thought Myrmidons were supposed to have grown from sown Hydra's teeth or something?  They only served Achilles, and the magic his divine mother Thetis or Tethys.. I think~ a Nymph daughter of Zeus, was closely linked to him.. when he died so did they I believe and its a long way to what was once Phoenicia! As for demons... not so sure.. but if I truly am possessed by the spirit of the Phoenix... my fire should be like a holy purifying flame and burn them easily!"

"BUT... this ain't no Final Fantasy game.. I'm pretty sure Earth's Gaia won't strike us down... we Humans are MORE than capable of killing ourselves ALL off on our own...  Then again.. we have regular contact with an Ancient Egyptian Deity.. so why not ask him?"

"Gaia?  Did your nuclear powers irradiate your cerebellum?  This is unscientific non-sense!  I'm very unimpressed with your total disregard for scientific perspective!"

Then the Poco cat-God fart.
"Oh my word!  Have you no tact?  Flatulence is not a public sport, even among felines!"
(Cough cough)

"Despite your tomfoolery ramblings, SunPhoenix ... errr, Lance, you have made an excellent point.  Since your powers are nuclear derived, theoretically your powers could further mutate or even supercharge the mutANTs.  I recommend you do a few trial blasts when no civilians might be endangered.

Meanwhile, if Sargent Muldoon is in agreement, our first tactic would be gathering civilians and relocating them to safety -- while one or more of us distract the insectoids.

If we can heard them like mindless cattle, then we could spread out and guide them to a 'pen' or off a cliff (altho perhaps that won't injure ants, with their astounding climbing acumen), or similar.

But my educated guess is they will be far more intelligent and cunning than we've been informed, so we would do better staying tightly teamed up to cover for eachother, with 2-3 of us disabling a mutANT at a time."

Oscillator continues, "Ahem, does everyone follow my line of reasoning?"

Osc was concerned that his intellectual explorations might be more difficult for his less intelligent teammates.  This was where Muldoon had a huge advantage over him -- military conciseness, precision orders.  People tended to understand what he said, whether or not they agreed with it.  Osc wondered if that might slowly filter into his own psyche.  Unlikely...

With a smile so slight it upturns only the right corner of his mouth, Nightmare leans towards Oscillator and quietly says, "I crashed a cargo plane in a Himalayan snowstorm, and was dragged off by an invisible beast who took me to a primitive cave and healed me of assuredly fatal injuries in a way that not only surpasses, but confounds modern medicine. Now, I can broadcast a debilitating emotional state, shroud men's minds with shadow so they don't see me, and turn into a sort of mythical beast. Add to that the conversations I've had with the mythical beasts, and then tell me what, if anything, I should believe."
As he sits back, he continues speaking, but raises his voice to a normal level, "I think that sounds like a good start on a plan. Perhaps the best thing to do with the civilians is load them aboard this plane to relocate them quicker. When we split into teams, it would make sense for Oscillator and Sunphoenix to comprise one team, as they both can fly whereas the rest of us, to my knowledge, can not. Of the rest of us, whoever teams with me will, most assuredly, be unhappy with the situation as I am the slowest of those that remain. You can draw straws, or something, to figure out who gets stuck with me, the remaining two could be the third team."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:02, Mon 12 Sept 2016.

Eddy smirked, and reached over.
He placed a paw in Nightmare's shoulder, and said, "You stick with me, slowpoke.   We'll go far together".

In reply to Oscillator (msg # 42):

Lance chuckles, "...clearly Ozzy... you did not hear my tone of jest, maybe I should stick to my usual irreverent sarcastic tone instead?"

"What?!? I'm well-read, I studied the European Literature 'classics' in College... even though I was ROTC!"

He grins wickedly, "...AND in 1941 I was born near Nanjing, in the Shrine of the Resplendent Phoenix... during a Total Solar Eclipse... while a ceremony the Monks were performing~ one that was to supposed to grant the blessing of the sun on the adherents. So indeed.. maybe what we think are the limits of reality as defined by Science the 'New Religion'... is only the beginning of understanding .. what reality Really is!"

This message was last edited by the player at 06:16, Sat 10 Sept 2016.

"I will concede that the scope of science is far more broad than what is currently known, or generally conceived of.

Much of what you both call magic is not necessarily unscientific.  But praying in one venue to no one can be different than praying directly to a telepathic being with vast resources who may be listening somehow and feeling charitable.

As for unicorns and Cyclops and the goose that  laid golden eggs, those are creations of authors attempting to describe a non-literal thing."

Osc looks to Nightmare, "I'm sure you think you have seen and experienced many unusual phenomena.  I'm not telling you what to believe, but rather that science is not a belief system. Science is a methodology and practice.

Oh, why do I bother?  Yes, let's just keep it as 'Osc is the science expert', and you each can be experts at something else.  Honestly, I still no next to nothing about Cat Gods or Emotional Projection, and I'm not sure I will tackle those arenas."

In reply to Oscillator (msg # 46):

Lance shrugs, "Well the Egg-heads tell me I have a 'genetic anomaly/trait' which is certainly the cause for my powers!  Apparently, this genetic trait is inheritable to any of my children.. but uncertain how it would manifest.  So I'm still on the side of Science and not yet ready to start placing 'laurel leaves' at the foot of BAAST'S statue just yet {snicker}!"

"Hey wait a minute.. if Ramses is an Egyptian God.. what about the rest of them?  I think it might be cool to hang out with a sexy liberal cat-goddess!"

... clearly he's gone back to his irreverent sarcastic tone here, Lance being a known unrepentant 'cat-lover'.

"But on the case at hand, I think it might be best to team each of the flyers up with someone who cannot fly to give them added mobility.  I mean 'Osc' can pick up someone with sufficient metal... like the buckles of your standard military web harness, and carry them with him via his magnetic control.  I think I could really use Vosper's help with her super speed on the ground for moving objects like flammable material in place~ so once she's quickly clear I can more easily set the terrain afire to make my 'fire-brake' more effective in herding the giANT's where we what them to go.. primarily away from civilian populations while the rest of you work on evacuation."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:03, Sat 10 Sept 2016.

"You taking Vosper without first testing your powers against the ants is an unnecessary risk to two of us.
No, you take Nightmare -- what better befits a demon than a flaming chariot?

I hadn't considered who I'd take, but I can take anyone that I can carry -- not Sergeant Muldoon, if he transforms.  Or Poco, I'd wager.
Frankly, Vosper can maneuver just as effectively without any flyer, she doesn't need a 'lift' from either of us.  Perhaps she can carry someone as well?"
Could they all hear the jealousy in his voice?  He hoped he'd had enough reason to assuage any inquiries.

"I'll take civillians, that's about all I can carry."

Eddy smirked as he listened to the Egghead and he living bonfire dividing the team up among themselves.
But he just slid back into his seat and made himself comfortable.
He figured it wouldn't be long before Colonal Beefcake would weigh in ... this being a 'command situation'.

He was pretty sure they could 'choose teams' all they liked, but when it came down to it, he figured Vos would do her own thing, just as he himself would.

Lance just shrugs, "Hey, you asked for my ideas.. so I gave them.  I just know I can't set things that are not flammable on fire.. like concrete streets and all.  If I'm trying to make a 'fire-break' to direct the swarm of ants some particular place.. I'll need fuel .. something to burn that will last long enough to make a barrier.  And I know Vos don't need any flyer.. but I might need her help to make the 'fire-break'~ nobody else can move fast enough!"

"Having JUST ME try to set each one of the giANTS on fire is not going to stop all of them... there may be just too many of them for that, I'll bet."

"I just figured it be more efficient to direct the swarm some place where our military forces can blast them whole sale with missile ordinance.. or napalm air strikes away from populated areas.  But whatever.."

Lance leans back in his seat and folds his arms.. clearly resigned to being mostly ignored... 'like most black men'...
This message was last edited by the player at 10:13, Tue 13 Sept 2016.

Muldoon had sat by quietly and let the team spit ball ideas, and there had been some useful ideas among some otherwise useless chatter. As it finished up  Muldoon headed up to the cockpit for a quick word with the pilots.

"Alright some good ideas."

"Building on that my thinking is that we leave the evacuation to military personnel if they are up to it. We will concentrate our efforts on delaying, redirecting and destroying the ants. As far as teams and specific strategy we need a look at the terrain and the enemy's disposition before we make that call."

"Not sure how your fire powers works. Seems like a sustained wall of fire could work but that would probably require fuel on the ground that the desert is not likely to provide."

"As far as teams, I don't think dividing our forces makes much sense. If we can find of make a choke point we could form a line and the flyers could provide an extra punch to help us hold the line."

"All that said I think given the way bugs seem to work. Our best strategy might be to find and deal with the queen. If they do communicate with pheromones a real threat to the queen might be the easiest way to change the direction of the ants."

In reply to Master Sgt Patrick Muldoon (msg # 51):

"I'm cool with all that. Though I thought the entire reason we were being pulled in was because the giANTS were NOT staying in the desert where they could be conveniently carpet bombed out of existence?  If they are not in the desert but threatening civilian residence and city areas.. finding flammable 'fuel' for my wall of fire~ tactic shouldn't be too hard ... if were fast and creative enough.  But its cool whatever... sticking together does sound tactically better for maximum flexibility and true we really don't know how the giANTs are arrayed or deploying and won't really know until we meet them; best to keep our plans fluid until we have some solid intel."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:48, Tue 13 Sept 2016.

"I asked the pilot do do a flyover so we could see what we are up against. We came make a plan and be ready to go when we land." Muldoon replied.

"Hopefully I can find a really big stick." Muldoon added.

Osc listened to Muldoon and Lance, then chimed in, "Perhaps SunPhoenix and I should do an aerial recon before we all head in?  Or would that give us too much information?"

Sarcasm was not his strong suit, but maybe that was a better way to go -- if anyone knew it was sarcasm.

So far he liked Muldoon's plan, to his surprise.

Then he had an idea, "I wonder if Rameses might offer more information on these giant mutant ants?"  Osc said this last sentence loudly and awkwardly over-enunciated, just in case Rameses was watching them just at that time...?

"Wanted to keep it simple, but if you feel it will help that is your and Sunpheonix's call." Muldoon replied.

"If you go that route make it quick and if possible get eyes on the queen's location. Once we are on the ground I want to make sure link up and get into action."

Nightmare nods, at everyone's suggestions. Whether this is approval or the precursors to a nap is anyone's guess, but his eyes haven't closed, yet. "Still, we should remember that no plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force," he says. "Perhaps our first objective should be to gather intelligence, by examining one of the enemy soldiers. If nothing else, it will allow us to direct our energies towards a single target rather than an extended front."
Turning to Muldoon, he goes on, "don't you feel the emphasis is somewhat lost when entire pages are underlined? It would have been better if they had focused the emphasis on phrases important to the content."