Triple Point

Chapter 46: Taking Flight

When Camilla finally found Elsie again and relayed the news, Elsie was thrilled. So thrilled, in fact, that she immediately dragged Camilla over to the director to share the plan. The director was more thrilled about the idea than either of them, and was tempted to even have Elsie do the stunt without the wire rig entirely.

While Elsie was surprisingly fine with it, Camilla shut the idea down right away; if another attack did end up happening, she wasn't fully confident that she could put up a reliable defense while also ensuring Elsie's safe return to the ground.

After ensuring that her energy field was capable of detecting imminent attacks, Camilla listened in to the director explaining the scene's blocking and what her role would be. Next, Camilla practiced moving the stunt double that Elsie was supposed to be chasing in the scene, earning a round of excited applause from the crew after every take. Finally, it was time for the real deal.

"Nervous?" Elsie asked as the crew hooked her up to the wire rig. She seemed surprisingly calm, or maybe Camilla was the one freaking out too much.

"That's a complete understatement," Camilla muttered. While she managed to keep herself from pacing, she ended up constantly shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"You'll be fine," Elsie said much too easily. "I know I'll be."

Camilla narrowed her eyes at Elsie and her reiteration that Camilla was responsible for her wellbeing. "You're not helping."

Elsie grinned, but it was at least slightly apologetic. "You're right, sorry. But hey, no pressure. I have the wire rig, remember? Just think of it as you'll be controlling my movement while the rig will keep me from falling."

Then, in a voice only Camilla could hear, she added, "And Lee will be nearby too, right? I wouldn't mind if she caught me with that super strength of hers."

"Alright, alright," Camilla said as Elsie laughed. "Let's do this."

"Ready when you are, Officer Wyatt," Elsie replied, and she made her way to her starting mark.

Once Elsie signaled she was ready, Camilla moved the air around her and eased her off the ground. Camilla stopped once when a flash of worry passed over Elsie's face, but Elsie quickly sent her a determined look shortly after, and Camilla kept going. Once Elsie was at the right height, Camilla lifted the stunt double to the same elevation, then nodded to the director that she was ready.

"Action!"

The signal rang in Camilla's mind like an order, and she instinctively buried her worries in an instant. She reacted as if she was in a battle, and she and Elsie were fighting side-by-side.

Even if it had been rehearsed, the moves still felt natural, and Camilla somehow knew exactly how Elsie would shift her weight slightly before throwing a punch, and Elsie knew how to balance herself when Camilla sent her flying from one building to the next. Had she not known any better, Camilla would've thought Elsie was well-versed in collaborating with guardians considering how well she performed. After all, Camilla had been partnered with multiple non-air guardians over the years and not many of them could move as naturally as Elsie.

After the first take, Camilla rushed up to Elsie as soon as she set her on the ground, belatedly forgetting that the director hadn't yelled "cut" yet. Thankfully, the end of the scene was called soon after, and Camilla continued towards Elsie without getting in the way of filming.

"Are you alright?" Camilla asked, immediately worried that she somehow messed up.

But it didn't seem that she had, judging from the wide smile on Elsie's face.