What to do. I sat in my cabin and planned what I would do while I took into account at least three possible responses by Thomas Kane and his army of Supers. I didn't want to kill them, I just wanted to be left alone. Life is precious and I didn't want to lose mine nor that of my enemy. The best thing you can do with your enemy is to make him your friend. The first part of the plan was survival. The second was to charm them into friendship. It took a bit but I began to imagine with high probability what the fight would be like. I used the full power of my Super Intelligence fourth level.

I took my time and when I was done it was very dark outside. I was too excited to sleep so I went to Surita's cabin. When she opened the door, I dragged her up to the top deck and asked her,

"Can you recommend a good defending warrior? I need someone who can stand toe to toe with all 25 of them and still keep his head. I need a tank."

Surita thought for a moment and her eyes began to glow. Her face became more relaxed, more competent, surer of herself, "well Wilbur I think you want someone who is fearless. Ocandu is fearless. He stood between your super enemies and us the crew and was beaten down for it. He is very brave," she said.

"Akun ..."

"Ocandu," she corrected.

"Come with me, we are going to see Ocandu," I said.

We woke Ocandu up and barged into his cabin. His sleepy eyes tried to process what was happening in vain. 

"Wake up you land lover," Surita said, "there are several teams of supers looking for us. We need you. Wake up now!"

"I'm up, I'm up. I'm dead too if what you say is right," he turned to me, "Is this right Fish Man?"

"Earth Ocandu, you must become a super and your powers will be earth-based. When in contact with earth or wood, things that thrive in the earth, you gain control and power over the subject. You can heal yourself, and control metals, and teleport through wood or earth. Water, you gain those abilities through water also, and with air, you can float or fly. You have what I call elemental control. You can conjure water shields and ice spears. Fire, you can shoot fire and fireballs from anywhere on your body. You are formidable, all you have to do is say yes." I said.

"Are you serious Fish Man?" asked Ocandu 

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Yes Ocandu, I am very serious. Our lives depend on us getting prepared yesterday," I answered.

"Then I Ocandu will smite your enemies and defeat your foes in battle," he said. I love it when a plan comes together.

"No time like the present," and with that, I put my hand onto Ocandu's shoulder, formed the mental image of Elemental Mastery, reached for the sensation of power at my core, and I drew the energy up through my torso and down through my arm and into his body.

 He took a sudden deep breath, closed his eyes, and he began trembling, it was almost unnoticeable, but I had an enhanced perception. He took another few deep breaths and then calmed down. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"That was incredible Fish-Man. Are you going to do this for the entire crew?" Ocandu asked.

"No I have something else planned for them, they will wear powered armor," I said. 

"Who is the engineer on the ship?" I asked.

"That would be Clyde," said Surita.

"Let's save him for tomorrow," she said.

"NO! It must be done now, if we are attacked now we would be slaughtered. Wake the crew," I said. Within fifteen minutes the entire crew was on deck. 

"People, I was going to wait and talk to you all tomorrow, but I realized that we could be attacked now. There is a force of 25 Supers coming to kill us. We need to prepare. Each of you has been given computers with a special program on them," I said. I looked at my crew. They were all looking at me with an intensity that let me know that they were able to be captivated by my words. I continued to speak as they continued to listen. I could see that they were seeing what I wanted them to see, feel what I wanted them to feel. They were breathing in sync as I moved and spoke. 

They were captivated, and while they were captivated EIS was in control of tons of nanomolecular devices mining the sea. There was a stream of what looked like waves of liquid metals flowing from the sea onto my huge converted fishing trawler. Using nano fusion and fission, without the dangerous radiation that would normally accompany these processes, any material needed was made. Energy came from the movement of the water.

I then finished my speech as EIS created what we needed, the parts and tools for the thirteen people who would need power armor. They would wear the armor every day, 24 hours a day until I said otherwise. They understood that I cared for their safety. They were after all the fifteen men and women who saved my life. 

I then walked below deck and to my cabin. I put into thirteen suits a computer chip that I designed and EIS manufactured. Each would carry a full EIS system. There was a ramjet that could come out of the back allowing flight for between fifteen and eighteen minutes before recharging. It was solar-powered. 

It had machine guns with high caliber rounds. It was the most powerful weapon I was responsible for creating, I ever had. I fit one for each of my nonpowered crew members. 

I needed an illusionist so I could enact the philosophy, Create something from nothing. Make the army of supers think this is a mighty floating fortress and that it would be costly to take, then besiege Wei to rescue Zhao. We will attack their base that we escaped from. In order to do these things, I decided to give Clyde power, Super Power Illusion Shadow Magic.

 After everyone in my crew had either a power or powered armor, I went to sleep.