Dean moved first.
Not with another ugly volley of projectiles this time.
He sent only two... two tiny shards at Arion's eyes, not to hit, just to force the head turn, the smallest adjustment of line. Arion reacted exactly as expected, lifting one hand, shifting his angle, and dismissing the threat with insulting efficiency.
That was all Dean needed.
He lunged straight into the meter.
The neutralization radius slammed into place around him, but instead of spreading his focus through the whole field, Dean compressed it.
He aimed for the memory.
For that sensation of the lock unraveling under his hand. For the concentrated biological knot of force. And this time, instead of choosing something external like a lock or a field shift, he reached for one of the points feeding it all.
The largest gland at Arion's nape.
The effect was immediate.
Arion's body jerked.
