Training Grounds

AN: This story takes place between A Not so Simple Patrol and When the Sun Winds Down.

Claney Beamard surveyed the group of nine Titans as they stretched and went through warm-up exercises. They were all newly revived Guardians that he had been tasked with training, and it had mostly gone well. They each had the making of competent Guardians, much more promising than he had been as a young Guardian. Then again, that was a pretty low bar to cross. He'd been revived with next to no fighting skills and had nearly shot himself the first time he handled a firearm. Thankfully, he'd come a long way since then. If this group could make similar strides, they would be quite formidable indeed.

Beside him stood Astrid, a young girl revived as a Titan who had been at the Tower now for some time and spent most of that time with Claney and his adopted daughter, Hunter Celeste Etain. Astrid watched, fascinated. The young girl had been training in secret and only recently been allowed to compete in the Crucible against other Guardians. Training with other Titans like this was a concept that was somewhat new to her.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, listen up," Claney called out, drawing the attention of the trainees. Nine pair of eyes snapped to his location and he struggled not to smile. "Today we're going to continue training with our Light. So far we have worked with Arc Light and the Void. Several of you have shown promise in one or the other, and I feel confident that we have the makings of some fine Strikers and Defenders.

"For many years, those were the two disciplines we Titans were confined to. We all knew about Solar Light, but that was the realm of Hunters and Warlocks. The reason for this was the exile of the Sunbreakers. Recently, things have changed. A modicum of peace has been made with the ancient order and the Vanguard, and we have Titans in our ranks utilizing Solar Light once again. That will be our focus today.

"Unfortunately, Solar Light is something I have not been able to master, so today you will have a guest instructor. I present to you Astrid."

Claney gestured to the young Titan who puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips, looking from one recruit to the other. A murmur of confusion rose among the nine of them, and one, a dark-haired man named Kieron laughed out loud at the sight of the pint-sized Guardian. Claney shook his head and sighed.

"Who was that?" Astrid demanded, her hands dropping to her sides. "Show yourself."

Kieron raised his hand and stepped forward. Astrid locked her eyes on him and glowered, which prompted a bemused smile from the man.

"Mind telling me what you found so funny, trainee?" Claney asked.

"Well, sir," Kieron sputtered, "you're not serious, right?"

"Absolutely. She's a Guardian and a natural born Sunbreaker."

"But, she's a child," Kieron pointed out, as if that was all that needed to be said.

Claney turned and looked at the young girl and asked her, "Care to demonstrate?"

"With pleasure," Astrid snarled and stepped into the open space between them and the young Guardians, then pointed a scarred finger from Kieron to the ground in front of her. "You. Here. Now."

Kieron looked around at everyone else in the room, bewildered. He stepped forward with a shrug. When Astrid took up a fighting stance, he gave a laugh that was half nerves, half confusion. He brought up his arms and shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, but his form was loose and sloppy.

"Begin," Claney said and took a step back. The other Titans noticed this and stepped back as well.

Kieron took a lazy step forward and Astrid lashed out with her foot, quick as a snake. She kicked him in his knee so hard it bent backward and he dropped with a cry of pain. He landed on his other knee, grabbing his wounded leg. Astrid clenched her fist, drew it back, then punched Kieron in the jaw as hard as she could. His head whipped to the side so hard that it snapped his neck.

"Did I forget to mention that she racked up a fourteen point oh kill to death ratio in her most recent Crucible match?" Claney asked. The remaining recruits looked at Astrid, eyes wide.

Moments later, Kieron's Ghost appeared and resurrected her Guardian. The new Titan took his fighting stance again, this time taking things more seriously. His posture was tense and he was focused entirely on the young girl. Astrid glanced at Claney who shrugged, leaving the option to her.

Astrid had barely taken her stance when Kieron attacked, trying to catch her off guard. He swung at her, fist crackling with Arc energy, but Astrid ducked the blow. Kieron threw several more punches, but Astrid dodged each. Then Kieron tried a lunging kick, leaving himself open.

The little Titan drew her fist back again, this time the burning glow of Solar Light engulfing the small hand. She threw a hook punch that caught Kieron right between his legs. There was an audible gasp from the audience, and Kieron screamed as his groin ignited. Astrid spun away from him and thrust out her hand. There was a sound of metal striking metal and then a flaming hammer appeared in her hand.

She leapt into the air, then flung the hammer down on the burning Titan. When the hammer struck, it exploded, and Kieron lay smoldering on the floor. Astrid landed, another hammer in her hand, a wild grin plastered on her face.

Claney grabbed a fire extinguisher on the wall and doused Kieron's remains. He spoke to Astrid, "Nice work, Little Bit."

"I still have a hammer."

"Noted."

Kieron's Ghost resurrected him for a second time. He blinked and looked around. When he saw Astrid standing there glaring at him, a flaming hammer clenched in her fist, he scrambled backward as quickly as he could, never taking his eyes off the young girl.

Astrid smirked.

"Does anyone else have an issue with our guest instructor?" Claney asked. Eight Titans shook their heads in unison. "Good. Astrid, they're all yours."

…

AN:

I started a different story, but that one took place after When the Sun Winds Down and would have spoiled plot points. Working on it did help me finalize a few ideas there though, so it wasn't a total waste, and you'll get to read it eventually. I had this idea next and jotted it down.

As always, Astrid is the property of the former Daydreamer B.A