Fantasy Island and all associated characters (except mine and MagicSwede1965's) are owned by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, Columbia Pictures Television, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. All persons described herein are fictional and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Chapter 8: Plan of Attack

8 June 2014

Andrea once again stood on Coral Beach, taking a brief moment to appreciate the view. Had it only been three weeks since she'd inadvertently set all these events in motion? Returning here, meeting Mr. Roarke and his family, and falling in love? Her heart ached. Since that terse and desperate telepathic message of the night before, there'd been no further word from Roarke even though she'd actively been listening for any. She could only hope that he was still alive.

She'd snuck in a few hours' sleep by returning home in the same minute that she'd left Stockholm, and then went about her usual Sunday morning routine before teleporting here, where the sun was just rising. The day was going to be busy, and she hoped that her allies would be able to assist.

It was fortunate in some ways that she'd been unable to get a sense of Roarke's location when he'd called her. There was a time when she would've simply charged in without thinking, an action that had garnered her a reputation for being chaotic and foolhardy. Much later she'd learned to capitalize on that: if she was up against an adversary that she'd faced multiple times, it was easy to give the appearance of unpredictability and yet still defuse the situation with a minimum of effort.

What she faced now was totally new. A confrontation on unfamiliar ground, against a foreign race in unknown numbers with a wide range of powers. She needed a plan, as well as multiple contingencies. The first step was to gather information from those who'd actually been to the place that was referred to as the Realms.

A familiar telepathic 'ping' came into her mind. In the next second, two women appeared beside her in full costume: Ingrid in a sleek violet suit with gold accessories, and Petra in a red and orange body sheath. This was followed by three more 'pings' and a triumphant 'There you are, girl!' A sonic boom sounded overhead and a figure plunged out of the sky.

Andrea grinned and knowingly shook her head. "Jen's still a show-off."

The flier, Jen, joined two more women who appeared to be skating across the water toward the shore, and within a few minutes they stepped onto the beach. Andrea was abruptly engulfed by enthusiastic hugs from all three.

"You all didn't come the entire distance under your own power?" she asked joyfully.

Jen laughed. "Are you kidding? That would've taken hours!" Blue-eyed with short ash-blonde hair, she wore a turquoise sheath with yellow highlights and a yellow silk scarf around her neck. "No, Ingrid teleported us a few miles offshore so we could make a decent entrance."

"Why would you choose the never-never to hold a reunion, mate?" the brunette wearing a blue and white wetsuit asked in an Aussie twang.

The third woman, dark-skinned and black-haired, said in a rough voice, "Tulad ng sa labas ng daan…" She then hesitated and continued, "Excuse me, I forget sometimes. As out of the way as this place is, Rachel, it's beautiful." Her outfit was a deep red with a gold sash around her waist, and the ankle boots she wore appeared to have metal soles.

Andrea said, "Please allow me to greet you in the local fashion." Stepping back, she raised her right hand as if she were holding a glass. "My dear friends, I am Ms. Trenton, your host. Welcome to Fantasy Island!"

They all pretended to raise their own glasses, and then Jen said, "Are we going to find out why we're all here? Ingrid wouldn't give much detail."

Immediately, Andrea sobered. "We're going on a rescue mission."

Roarke's family, along with Blue, were gathered in the main house's study when a distant rumble like thunder startled them all. Leslie went on alert, her eyes darting to the nearest window, which showed blue sky outside. Both Rogan and Delphine paused, and their expressions grew more and more concerned.

"What's with you two?" asked Leslie when she noticed. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Delphine gulped. "I felt something very powerful arrive on the island, but it's gone now."

"It's not gone, it's concealing itself," Rogan said uneasily. "And it wasn't just one, but several."

The desk phone rang and they all stared at it, as if its ordinary sound could herald something unprecedented. Almost automatically, Leslie picked it up. "Main house… Yes, we're here… All right." She put down the receiver and turned to them all. "It's Andrea, and she brought some friends."

A short while later there was a knock at the door, and Andrea entered – but it wasn't quite the same woman they'd seen previously. It looked like she'd had a major makeover: her facial features seemed younger, her hair was a luxuriant ash-blonde, and she wore a black, white, and silver bodysuit. The five women with her were wearing costumes that were just as flashy. "Good morning to you," she said politely. "I apologize for the noise earlier; I should've instructed my colleagues to arrive quietly. We're masking ourselves now so that we won't overwhelm any sensitives nearby. I'd like to introduce you to the Elementals. They're here to help find Mr. Roarke."

Leslie blinked and then asked, "All women?" before she could stop herself.

The one in turquoise said, "Those of us who are left."

Andrea indicated each and they nodded in turn. "Tempest, Queen of Sky. Branda, Spirit of Fire. Tsunami, Water Bearer. Sagacity, Force of Will. Vermilion, Metallurgist. My friends, please meet Christian and Leslie Enstad, Rogan Callaghan, Delphine Randolph, and Ms. Blue."

Blue looked the Elementals over carefully. "I don't believe that my people ever knew that such beings as yourselves existed, and we've been living among and observing humans for millennia."

"We tried to keep ourselves and our operations out of the limelight whenever possible," Andrea responded. "Humans, particularly the more radical sort, tend to be fearful of that which is different or ill-understood, as I'm certain you're aware. Fortunately, those few who do know of us have kept the secret well. Now, shall we begin?"

"Where do we start?" asked Delphine.

"With what we know." To Blue, Andrea said, "As I understand it, Mr. Roarke is among the most wise and powerful people in your Realms, given that you'd accepted him as your leader. It stands to reason that anyone capable of abducting him must be just as strong, or there were multiple assailants, at least one of whom was likely a matter manipulator like himself. I have a fair knowledge of what he's capable of, but can anyone think of what else we might face?"

Leslie said, "I know that Matter-Shifters can create shields, like the one that Father set up around this island. It prevents other Matter-Shifters from teleporting here."

Andrea thought about it for a few seconds. "That tells me a lot; by that I can assume that the particle theory applies. Using that principle, Matter-Shifters seem to 'teleport' by an almost instantaneous deconstruction of their molecules, throwing them across the distance at the speed of light, and reconstructing them at the other end. A force field of any kind would prevent that."

"Of course that's how it works," said Rogan, as if it should've been obvious.

Leslie scowled at him and pointed to herself. "I am not a Matter-Shifter, remember."

Ignoring them, Delphine asked, "Then how can Uncle still come here?"

"If he set up the field initially, he might have left himself a window," Andrea theorized. "Or he has such fine control that he's able to make it permeable only to his own unique molecular signature." She clicked her tongue. "I'm very impressed."

Christian addressed Andrea. "Assuming that's the case, how are you able to get through?"

She smiled. "I don't teleport that way. I create a portal in space-time that instantly transports matter without it physically traversing the intervening distance. More simply put, a wrinkle in time." With a flourish of one hand, she opened a small portal in the air in front of her, about ten inches across, and willed it transparent. What showed through it was an aerial view of a mid-sized city. All of them stared at it. "You're seeing my hometown, at this moment. If someone were to reach through, an observer on the other side would see a disembodied arm."

Hesitantly, Leslie stepped up to the portal and brushed her fingers on its surface, and the image rippled. She then reached her arm through up to her elbow, and yanked it back. "It's hot!"

"It's summer," Andrea commented as she closed the portal. "As you see, getting in and out of the Realms shouldn't present a problem unless they have the capability to manipulate the space-time continuum. I would, however, need an anchor to focus upon, much like the Matter-Shifters do. The largest issue to face is finding Mr. Roarke."

Rogan said, "I thought you could sense him."

She gave a small shake of her head. "Not from here. And my earlier contact with him was too brief for me to be able to get a clear location. Once we're actually in the Realms I should be able to do so, if he isn't being concealed. Can a clan member mask a presence other than their own?"

"I don't think so," said Leslie. "My friend Frida is what they call a Mind-Bender, and a fairly powerful one. She never mentioned that she could."

"Excellent, that's another advantage we have," Andrea said with relief. "Now, the million-dollar question is: where exactly are the Realms?"

All were silent for several seconds, until Leslie said quietly, "Christian and I are among the few humans who've been there, and Father swore us all to secrecy."

Andrea sighed, trying to hide her disappointment. Such came as no surprise, given what little Roarke had said about his people. "I understand. To respect that, I ask permission to read the image from you. You have my word that I won't reveal the exact location." At Blue's skeptical expression she said sharply, "You do want to have your leader back? You said yourself that it would take your people weeks to search, and by then it might be too late."

Blue capitulated grudgingly. "Very well. The location I'm thinking of is the chamber where many choose to have important discussions."

The image that Andrea lifted from the woman's mind was of an indefinable area shrouded in fog, but she had a fix: deep inside the Earth's moon. "Thank you, Ms. Blue. I can reach there easily." Then she turned and spoke to Tsunami. "The place in question is underground and not conducive to your element, so I won't oblige you to go."

"That's fair," Rachel said. "I'll stay and help out here, if that's okay."

With a nod, Andrea addressed the room. "Given what we know, our goals are thus: finding Mr. Roarke's position, reaching it without causing undue panic among the residents, and freeing him with a minimum of violence."

"I doubt that last will be possible," said Blue. "The entities who are suspected in the abduction have proven to not be averse to using violent methods. For the second, if I was with you, it might be assumed that you were operating under my authority and wouldn't be questioned."

"I'd intended to include you in our foray in any case, Ms. Blue," Andrea acknowledged. "As the de facto leader in Mr. Roarke's absence, you deserve to be aware of all events."

Leslie said stubbornly, "In which case, I'm going too. As the owner and administrator of this island–"

Startled, Christian interrupted, "My Rose, please reconsider…"

"I don't care how dangerous it might be," she retorted. "This is Father we're talking about. Besides, we have someone with the kids, so it's not like they'll be alone."

"We'll watch out for her," Jen piped up. "It's not like this is our first rodeo."

"All right, then," said Andrea, unwilling to argue, even though Christian still looked worried. "So first: upon arrival, we determine where Mr. Roarke is. Second, we find a way to reach that place. Since Mrs. Enstad has been there before, it's a given that there's a breathable atmosphere, which means Jen should be able to sense any large air pockets in Mr. Roarke's vicinity."

Vermilion stepped forward. "If I might add, I can sense the metals within the rocks and get a rough shape of the terrain. It wouldn't be as clear as our late colleague Emerald could've done, but it would help."

"Thank you, Rosa," said Andrea. "Between you and Jen, we should have an accurate enough picture for me to open a portal there. For the third step, I suggest a strategy that we," she gestured to the other Elementals, "call 'Distract and Act'. With most of the team hidden, one confronts the adversaries and confuses them with some bluster or otherwise gets them talking. Often that one is myself, since I tend to react more quickly. In the meantime, the rest take appropriate actions in the background, such as taking advantageous positions or proceeding to the goal. Enemy numbers and other relevant details are relayed telepathically. Once the enemy is neutralized, measures are taken to ensure that they can't escape."

"I should point out," said Blue, "that the entities you will be facing might not react as you expect. What makes you so certain that they won't attack you on sight?"

"That's a good point," said Jen, "but in our experience, criminals are often superstitious and cowardly. If you challenge their beliefs enough, they might do something stupid."

Andrea raised a hand. "Yes, but remember, these aren't human and therefore aren't necessarily subject to our presumptions. We need to take that into consideration. Next–"

She was interrupted as her senses registered a tremor in space-time, and she quickly stepped backward as a small portal opened in the air in front of her. A black-clad arm extended from it, and the fist opened to reveal a spark of energy that was so bright that it almost hurt to look at it. "Use it in good health, Elemental," a deep voice boomed from the other side. "I'll hold you to our bargain."

Reaching forward, she scooped the spark into her hands, adding a little of her own energy to sustain it as she did so. "Agreed," she said. The arm withdrew and the portal closed.

The Elementals exchanged surprised looks, and Jen blurted, "You made a deal with him?"

Andrea chuckled. "I know you don't like Spellfire, but he's been helpful. I only agreed to give my assistance the next time he gets into a bind." Turning to the others, she said, "I apologize for the interruption; that particular ally of mine isn't always tactful. Not long ago I made a promise, the details of which I won't go into now. This is part of the fulfilment of that promise."

Christian said thoughtfully, "I remember from our first meeting that you described an elemental spirit as something akin to what you're holding."

She nodded solemnly. "That's exactly what this is." Then she waited until everyone's amazed reactions subsided. "You might also remember that it'll soon die without a host, but until the person it's intended for becomes available, it can temporarily be imbued into an object – preferably one that's portable." It was best if said object had belonged to the person in question but she was loath to say so.

All eyes began to look around the room, but Andrea suddenly noticed that Christian was wearing a very familiar chain. The man was quick to see her scrutiny, and he walked toward her, carefully withdrawing the gold fob watch that had been Roarke's from his pocket as he did so. "This was left to me," he said quietly, "but if you have need of it, I understand." He unclipped the chain from his belt and handed the watch to her, the look in his eyes indicating that he'd guessed what her plan was.

Turning her back to them all, she held the spark in one hand and the watch in the other. 'My kin, reside in this for a time,' she broadcast to it. 'It was special to the one you are meant for.' At her encouragement, the spark infused itself into the watch. Once again, she added a small pulse of her own energy to keep it stable for a few hours. Hopefully that would be sufficient until Roarke was found.

Then she faced Leslie, one of the few people whom she knew that Roarke trusted with his life. "As Ms. Blue rightfully pointed out, our adversaries are unpredictable, which makes it necessary to have alternate preparations." Holding the watch up, she advised the woman kindly, "Please keep this with you and protect it. Chances are that we'll find your father in a less than ideal condition, so we might need it."

The woman gulped and stared at the watch for a second before securing it in a pocket. "I hope that we won't need it."

"As the saying goes," said Rachel, "better to have it and not need it, than not having it when you do need it. Any sailor knows that."

"If there are no other issues, we should be ready," Andrea said, businesslike once more. "The sooner we move, the sooner we'll be able to bring Mr. Roarke home. I and Sagacity first, Ms. Blue and Mrs. Enstad behind us, Tempest and Vermilion as rear guard. Is that acceptable?"

When they all indicated their readiness, she concentrated on the image of the chamber in her mind and opened a portal.