**Crane's Wings Planning Room - 3 months later**
The planning room had been upgraded significantly since the faction's early days, and tonight, the room was full. All the key players were present: Jaina's primary form with several duplicates stationed around the room for redundancy, Ivy lounging in her chair with vines extending to various plants she'd positioned throughout the space, Langstrom and Killer Moth standing attentively near the main display, Waylon Jones the newest arrival hunched to fit in a space still not quite designed for his massive frame, with Grundy, William present via video link from his surgical suite, Basil maintaining his current nondescript form, and Silver sitting quietly but alertly, still adjusting to being included in a room full of some of the worlds most dangerous individuals.
Suguro stood at the head of the table, pulling up detailed intelligence on the main screen.
"Thank you all for attending on short notice," he began, "I've been coordinating with Mr. Freeze regarding a joint operation that serves both our organizations' interests. The target is a POLAR Corporation submarine transport currently en route from the Canadian arctic to their processing facility in Boston."
He pulled up the submarine, a massive vessel, designed for deep-water cargo transport in extreme cold conditions, heavily reinforced hull, but with a minimal crew due to POLARs advanced automation systems.
"POLAR specializes in arctic mining operations. This particular transport is top secret and is carrying approximately 400 million dollars worth of uncut diamonds extracted from Canadian territorial waters, along with specialized chemical compounds used to treat workers in extreme cold environments, compounds that Mr. Freeze believes may be applicable to his wife's medical treatment."
Basil looked at the sub "What's the split?"
"Three-quarters to us, one-quarter to Freeze. The chemical compounds go entirely to him, we have no use for them, and they're his primary motivation for participation. There's also a prototype missile launcher system being transported for testing—defensive weapon for POLAR's arctic facilities. That comes to us as well."
Suguro pulled up a 3D model of the planned intercept point, showing ocean depths, currents, and the estimated response times from various military and heroes.
"The intercept happens here—" he indicated a point in the North Atlantic, approximately two hundred miles east of Newfoundland "
"How exactly are we intercepting a submarine in the middle of the ocean?" Langstrom asked, his analytical mind already working through the logistics. "We don't have a submarine and you should know, most of us can't survive in freezing water, and even if we could reach the target, how would we breach a reinforced submarine."
Suguro pulled up personnel assignments. "Underwater team: Ivy and Waylon. Waylon's Quirk allows extended underwater operation and resistance to cold. Ivy doesn't need to breathe, she can absorb oxygen through water like an aquatic plant, and her cold resistance is sufficient for the environment."
"Wait," Silver interrupted, her skull-patterned face showing confusion. "You're putting people underwater at a thousand feet depth in near-freezing temperatures for what, hours potentially? That's insane even with their Quirks."
"Noted," Suguro said without offense at being questioned. "Waylon, can youdo it"
Waylon nodded, his crocodilian features pulling into what might have been a grin. "I can stay out there for days if needed."
"Ivy?"
"I'm fine underwater indefinitely theres many beautiful plants down there I look forward to meeting," Ivy confirmed, her vines curling with what might have been anticipation. "I've been working on kelp modifications you asked specifically for this operation. I can create vine structures strong enough to lift the submarine that won't snap under stress."
"Exactly," Suguro continued, pulling up the next phase. "Surface team: Myself, Mr. Freeze, Killer Frost, and Captain Cold. Freeze and I have worked together extensively, you all know about our history. Killer Frost is his niece, highly capable cryokinetic specialist with combat experience. Captain Cold is Freeze's new bodyguard and lieutenant, also cryokinetic."
He displayed the tactical sequence: "Phase one, the four of us position on the intercept route using a small vessel that Freeze is providing. When the submarine approaches, the three cryokinetics work together to create a massive icewall in the ocean directly in its path. Not large enough that the submarine has to slow to near stop and change course to avoid collision or damage."
The 3D model animated the sequence, ice forming impossibly fast in the water, growing into to the size of many large buildings, the submarine's automated systems detecting the obstacle and reducing speed accordingly.
"Phase two, while the submarine is moving slowly around the iceberg, Ivy deploys her modified kelp vines from below. The vines wrap around the submarine's hull and begin raising it toward the surface."
"Won't the crew notice?" Killer Moth asked.
"Yes, which is why phase two happens fast. Ivy's vines are designed for rapid deployment and maximum pulling force. The submarine will surface within 30 seconds, too quickly for the crew to implement effective countermeasures. By the time they realize what's happening, they're already breaching."
The model showed the submarine rising rapidly, breaching the surface near the iceberg where the surface team waited.
"Phase three, Waylon boards the submarine while it's surfacing. William has given him one of silver's old classmates with a magnetic quirk and his hands and arms we have turned into an organic weapons." Williams video call takes focus on the main screen and he shows the flesh like weapon then back to the 3d model of the submarine "this will loosen the main hatch breaking it which will allow Waylon to tear through the access hatch, flooding the upper compartments slightly but not enough to sink the vessel, this creates chaos inside with crew responding to flooding. They'll be disoriented and focused on immediate survival rather than effective defense."
"Once the sub is fully surfaced and Waylon has breached the hull, the surface team boards through the opened hatch. Freeze immediately deploys one of his cryo bombst, flash-freezing the flooded water and any crew members who approach the breach point. This gives us secure entry and neutralizes immediate threats."
"Phase four, we move through the submarine, securing the cargo. The crew will be attempting to respond, but they're scientists and transport specialists, not security personnel."
"What about when you leave?" Basil asked.
"Phase five, memory modification," Suguro said, pulling up chemical formulas on the screen. "I've developed a variant of my fear toxin quirk specifically for this operation. Before we exit, I inject each crew member with the compound. Over the following six to twelve hours, their memories of the actual attack will degrade and be replaced with false memories of hallucinations of sea monster attack or claustrophobia or whatever sea related fear they have in the deep water forcing them to surface and abandon cargo to survive."
"Wait," Silver said, leaning forward with interest. "You can actually create false memories? I thought fear toxin just made people hallucinate."
"This variant works differently I cant explain it but feels as if my quirk is reaching new levels"
He then looks back at the model
"Phase six, Freeze's team dissolves the iceberg, melting it rapidly. By the time POLAR's rescue arrives, there's no evidence of cryogenic attack, just an open ocean and a damaged submarine with a confused crew."
"I also want you langstrom to scout for any nearby civilian ships but there likely wont be any and basil I need you to drive the boat if anyone spots us I need you to play the part of a local"
to which the two nodded.
Suguro let the plan sit for a moment, letting everyone absorb the complexity and the various moving pieces that all had to coordinate perfectly.
"Timeline is critical," he continued. "From initial iceberg creation to our exit cannot exceed thirty minutes, longer than that the risk skyrockets."
He looked around the table, meeting each person's eyes. "Questions? I want everyone's input."
"No questions I'm in," Waylon said immediately.
"I'm obviously participating," Ivy added. "This will be good test for me "
"The plan is sound," Langstrom added
One by one, the team members voiced their support. The plan was solid, the rewards were significant, and the risks were acceptable given the potential return.
"Excellent," Suguro said, making notes on his tablet. "Jaina, you will remain in charge of our base and assets while I am gone" to which she smugly smiled to Williams annoyance as he would rather be in charge.