[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Q8LdWsD.png[/img]
[h3][color=f7941d]Callie[/color] / [color=00aeef]Henri[/color] / [color=8F00FF]Nil[/color] / [color=f26522]Nemo[/color][/h3]
[@Nimbus] / [@Chiro] / [@Gerlando] / [@The World][/center]

[color=f7941d]“[b][i]There.[/i][/b]”[/color]

Most of Callie’s portals were small but with significant impacts.  Each was positioned efficiently, as compact as it could be and as simply shaped as possible to minimise energy expenditure and thought.  It had a task and it fulfilled it well.

This time, Callie reached for something different, gathering power and focus that she had only sought a very few times even in training.  Her efforts now would be complete, overwhelming and devastating.  Her opponent demanded it.

[color=f7941d]“Weapons ready; target soon exposed!”[/color]  She broadcast her message to as many as could hear it - meaningful enough to provoke alertness but not enough to alert anyone listening in to her plan.  A small part of her mind prayed it would be enough.  [color=f7941d]Now - other two.  “Nil, strike the north face.”[/color]  That would be enough of a distraction for the target and aid the general aim of releasing pressure from the volcano (no matter her companion’s state of mind, as another part of her worried after, screaming at her to help, to [i]care[/i]; there was a greater priority now).  [color=f7941d]“Sergeant, ready.[/color]  In case what she was about to do needed to be shut off rapidly, for her own safety.

[color=00aeef]”Roger that,”[/color] Henri confirmed. He kept a close eye on the happenings around him. Leonidas was kept under wraps for now. It needed all the energy Henri could muster.

Hearing she had been called Nil raised her head from her hands, there was something to shoot at, some north face of, what exactly? As Nil wondered what the target was she looked outside to see the massive volcano covering the whole view, yeah [i]that[/i].

Preparing her NA she hoped not to see that chaos again, hoping the earth would [i]not move[/i], but it was fine, even if it did there was no need to look close enough to notice, it was a big target, no need to focus.

And then the first shot was fired, then another in the same spot, and they kept going until lava was pouring out, then she moved to open another hole and another again, soon the volcano side would be riddled with holes like a colander.

All the rest of Callie’s focus narrowed in on her target.  She saw her there, an arrogance in her stance, laughter issuing forth.  She knew the type, had seen it in a few of the other AMCs - ones who believed that their gifts made them invincible and deserved them power above common humanity.  Now, seeing that attitude writ large and exaggerated, bringing about so much death that she [i]failed to stop[/i]...

Conscious thought, intuition and emotion married, something darker than mere anger propelling calculation and flow.  [color=f7941d][i]Just under four seconds to release.[/i][/color]  Her intent was simple and brutal: a single, ovoid-shaped portal surrounding Tian Fei, encompassing her and placing her hundreds of metres above Lingayen, away from her substance of power and entirely exposed.  Such a conjuration would drain her in moments - working in three dimensions always demanded more area, and thus more stamina than untrained people and those with minds unlike hers would expect.  If it worked, however, moments would be all she needed; Tian Fei would fall into the sky and the portal could close.  [color=f7941d][i]Watch the staff - needs to be upright to fit when -[/i][/color]

[color=f7941d][i]Who?[/i][/color]

A child, her mind supplied - a boy, [i]projected[/i] towards her target.  

Nemo felt a twinge of despair when he realised that he had been thrown so hard that he lost his grip on Noel’s wrist. But then he remembered his order to “do not despair” and the reality of the situation hit him. He had been launched at the enemy. Still though, his Vitae wouldn’t be useful for killing them like he was ordered to. Reverse wasn’t very effective at cutting things. All of this flashed through his mind as he travelled mid-air towards Tian Fei. Ultimately, he didn’t know what to do; he was being useless again. Two seconds had passed. He was stuck on a collision course and had no real recourse to stop it.

[color=f7941d][i]No.  No![/i][/color]  Callie’s willpower redoubled, any lapse of focus vanishing.  [color=f7941d][i]No more harm - mine to prevent it![/i][/color]

Her forehead beaded with sweat, watching the boy as he flew at Tian Fei, blade in hand - black hair, sharp nose, a dozen emotions written on his face and shining from his golden eyes…  It was easiest for her when bridging space to determine an intent, let the power build, slightly correct for any minor change and then release it - it allowed her to consider other things simultaneously.  Now, though, there was someone vulnerable at risk - the situation was volatile, and she [i]would not hurt because of it[/i].  Even as the moments passed, time like treacle from the vantage of her thought, Callie fought the impulse to codify the power she reached for, instead forcing it to remain undefined, malleable.  Nothing was spared in the effort, drawing both from that deep burning darkness and the bright, flaring desire to protect, to help.  Her victory would be total and it would be [i]right[/i].

Nemo couldn’t help but feel a little scared, if he were honest with himself. Though this mostly manifested subconsciously, as he put Vitae in front of him as if to block an attack and closed his eyes. The seconds seemed to slow as adrenaline kicked in, but they passed regardless.

[color=f7941d][i]A little longer - focus on Charter, read motion, ready to shape power - where is he - closing, closing - she[/i] does no further, not to him, not to anyone![/color]  Her lips parted, drawing breath to call to any who might answer…

The boy felt his arms shake as his sword slammed into the target he had been thrown at, still sideways in his hands, possibly breaking Tian Fei’s nose. It was unfortunate for his commander that he weren’t holding it forward, he’d realise in retrospect, but for now he was too focused on maintaining his… he supposed it would be called “balance,” despite being mid-air.

Several things, at this point, were true.  Firstly: where before the gap between her target and the boy was narrowing, the impact had imparted momentum to the former while the latter steadied himself, and thus it was now growing again.  Secondly: the boy had issued her a sharp strike to the head, potentially concussing, likely disorienting and certainly distracting her.  Thirdly: as the human body is wont to do on impact, her target had slightly curled in on herself, reducing the area her portal needed to cover.  Finally: [i]her Charter’s might was gathered.[/i]

Callie took this all in in a moment, and knew the opportunity.

[color=f7941d]“FOCUS FIRE, HALF-CLICK ABOVE BEACH WEST!”[/color]

Space realigned and snapped into position; she demanded it so.  Tian Fei vanished from Nemo’s sight; now about her was now open sky, her position tilted halfway between sideways and down to disorient her further.  Momentum carried her past the encompassing portal’s bounds, loosing her in the air above Lingayen’s coastal shallows - far from aid and far from her element.

Callie’s vision swam, even as she closed the portal - the drain not so much as expected, and later she would recognise this as that strange boy’s intervention pushing Tian Fei far more quickly than gravity ever would have, but still taking its toll after so many other demands on her had worn her down.  [color=f7941d][i]Job to do…  Don’t ask others…  What would not do yourself…[/i][/color]

Blearily, she grasped at her rifle, slotted in Charter as a scope and tried to gather power to manifest a tiny portal to fire through…

And, instead, exhausted, slumped on the helicopter wall.

Next to her Nil had finished with her previous task, the volcano now being riddled with holes.  No, Nil was looking for the target Callie had called a few seconds ago. The ex-Buddhist now falling through the sky, there was no doubt, [i]must be her[/i].  Nil launched staffs at the small aerial target, if nothing else just to get a taste of vengeance.

Her aim wasn’t the greatest - maybe it was the helicopter moving, maybe it was her still dizzy head, or maybe that she didn’t try to look too closely at the target, so Nil threw many more projectiles at her target, enough to also hide Tian Fei from her sight, deliberately choosing not to look too much at her. Even if she would not hit the Buddhist, surely there were others aiming at her, but getting back at the geomancer did feel good. [color=8F00FF][i]Forty-four.[/i][/color]  She was definitely counting this one.