Author's Note: I own nothing.
42 Assault
It only took a few minutes for all of them to be gathered in Max's makeshift house, there were maybe ten of them, all of various species. Max turned on an old, cobbled together hologram projector and began explaining Animo's plan. Jen circled the hologram and picked up the small piece of Korbamite Grandpa Max had been using as an example.
"Animo was wearing a piece of this. The pin on his cape had some on it." Pierce raised an eyebrow at her.
"Your point?"
"I was wondering what kind of steroids he'd been on and I think I found my answer. Animo is nuts, but he's an inventive kind of nuts. And he understands how to change biology. If we can get that off him maybe he loses the invulnerability."
"Smart theory." Pierce stated. "But the problem remains, how do we get in. His fortress is surrounded at all times by the majority of the Null Guardians." Jen shook her head tossing the piece of Korbamite between her hands.
"The crops the Null Guardians take from the fields, where do those go?"
"Directly into the fortress itself!" Hellen said smiling as she caught onto Jen's idea. Max smiled proudly, Pierce leaned over to him.
"You're right, I do like her. A quick thinker. Not much good in a fight though." Max laughed.
"Son, if she'd wanted to win your fight you wouldn't have stood a chance." Pierce bristled, literally.
"You're saying she let me win?"
"Yes I did. But don't feel too bad, I did learn from the best." Jen said tossing the Korbamite to her grandfather who nodded proudly.
Their gambit worked perfectly, at first. But when Animo arrived with a full flock of Null Guardians things went south. It was Pierce who managed to get a lucky shot in to damage the broach Animo was using to hold on his cloak. He roared in pain as some of the yellow drained from his eyes and he seemed to deflate slightly.
"You insolent cur! You've damaged my transmitter!" Jen was busy fighting six Null Guardians but she heard what Animo said and her mind kicked into overdrive. The furnace burning not six feet from her wasn't just powering the dimensional boar it was powering Animo too. Thinking fast she baseball slid under a guardian and took off at a run towards the boar and the furnace underneath.
Max Tennyson was a reasonable man who had seen a lot in his long life. But seeing his granddaughter dive headfirst into a machine capable of melting alien ore into a power source nearly stopped his heart. Animo laughed loud and long.
"Even the great Jen Tennyson realized I can't be beaten!" That was when the steam began to rise from the furnace, but as the Null Guardians backed the freedom fighters closer to it Max noticed something odd. The steam wasn't scalding like it should have been, it was frigid.
In moments Animo was screaming as ice climbed his machine and the boar sputtered to a halt. Animo himself was glowing yellow as the power from the Korbamite drained from him until he looked very much like he had when he'd been tossed in here originally. Max had no compunctions about decking him in the face though as more ice rose from the depths of the machine. Standing atop the new formed glacier was a female necrofrigian, her gender only discernable by the pattern on the wings wrapped around her like a cloak. Green lights flashed and Jen grinned at him from atop her impromptu ice sculpture.
"Nicely done Jen!" She slid down the ice and Pierce caught her at the bottom of it so she wouldn't trip on the edge of what had been the lip of the pit. Manny and Hellen were securing Animo. Max shook his head at his granddaughter. "A little warning before you dive into a furnace next time wouldn't go amiss though."
"No time." Jen shrugged. "I had to take out Animo quick." Max hugged her close and she returned it whole heartedly. It as then that the pink light appeared above them.
Gwen had been trying to track her cousin all day, ever since the line had gone slack and they'd pulled it back in empty. It was exceedingly difficult to do between dimensions. She'd had to use something of Jen's to manage it. Ripping open another portal between the dimensions was even more difficult. It was like trying to hold off a hydraulic press with her bare hands.
"Gwen! Look who I found!" The redhead nearly lost her grip on the portal when she caught sight of Grandpa Max.
"Hey Pumpkin!"
"You're alive!" He smiled at her.
"We Tennysons are hard to kill." He said grinning and ruffling Jen's hair. The brunette turned to him, understanding in her eyes.
"You're not coming back with me are you?" Grandpa Max shook his head.
"I need to finish things here, set the Null Guardians back to the task they're supposed to be doing." Jen hugged him hard.
"The minute we're done with the Highbreed I'm mounting a rescue mission." Max held her tight.
"I'd expect nothing less from the excellent you're becoming. I love you sweetie." He turned to Gwen. "I'm so proud of both of you."
Gwen almost didn't manage to get Jen through her portal, holding it open and pulling her through at the same time was next to impossible. Kevin stepped in, ducking under Gwen's arm and grabbing Jen just under her elbows, bodily hauling her out of the Null Void. Jen grinned and hugged her cousin tight. After returning the embrace for a moment Gwen smacked her cousin in the back of the head.
"What the hell were you thinking! Taking off the cable was so stupid!" Jen ducked, laughing.
"So was dangling around like a cat toy! I got stuck. I told you I couldn't fight on a leash." Jen was all smiles as she dodged her cousin's rage. It seemed like a brighter smile than any Kevin had seen on her face since meeting her again.
"You seem pretty chipper." Kevin stated as the three of them packed away the equipment they'd used after checking to see that the Null Void was stabilizing again. She nodded slightly.
"Grandpa Max is alive. I have every reason to be happy right now. We'll beat the Highbreed and get him and the Plumber's kids out of there." There was such conviction in her voice that Kevin had to take a second look at her. She seemed different, more confidant as if having her grandfather affirm her place as leader had her believing it at last. Gwen's smile was downright radiant as she grabbed Kevin's hand and linked arms with her cousin.
"First things first, we need to tell our parents he's ok." Jen nodded and they all set off for Kevin's car.