Chapter 30: Crucible

The Next Morning - Crucible Arena: Twilight Gap

Adam stood in the observation deck overlooking the arena, his pale blue eyes tracking the movements below. Beside him, Blush projected tactical data across his HUD, analyzing each Guardian's positioning.

"FIGHT ON, GUARDIANS!" Shaxx's voice boomed through the arena. "Show me what you're made of!"

The match opened with Pyrrha taking a high position, her Night Watch scout rifle gleaming in the morning light. Penny moved with practiced grace, her Positive Outlook auto rifle at the ready as she secured their flank. Years of fighting together showed in how they naturally covered each other's angles.

"Here they come," Blush murmured as Yang charged around a corner, her Last Man Standing shotgun blazing with Solar Light.

Pyrrha's scout rifle cracked three times in rapid succession, each shot perfectly placed. Yang's shields flared but held as she dove for cover. Blake's void-wrapped form slipped through the shadows, her Funnelweb submachine gun chattering as she tried to flank Penny.

"Interesting," Adam noted. "Blake's using the terrain well, but she's not accounting for—"

Penny spun, her Wings of Sacred Dawn flaring as she took to the air. Her auto rifle thundered, forcing Blake back into cover. "—Penny's vertical mobility," Adam finished.

Weiss had taken a more tactical approach, her Interference VI grenade launcher lobbing carefully calculated shots to deny Pyrrha her height advantage. But Pyrrha was already moving, years of Crucible experience evident in how she seemed to flow between cover points.

"Their individual skills are strong," Blush observed. "But they're not coordinating yet."

As if to prove her point, Yang made another aggressive push, but without proper support. Pyrrha and Penny caught her in a devastating crossfire. Yang's form dissolved in a flash of Light as her Ghost prepared to resurrect her.

"THIS IS AMAZING!" Shaxx bellowed through the comms. "But Titan, you must learn to temper that aggression with tactics!"

Blake attempted to capitalize on the distraction, her void abilities letting her get close to Penny. But she'd lost track of Pyrrha, who had smoothly repositioned. The scout rifle cracked twice more, and Blake fell.

"Watch your angles!" Adam called out. "You're fighting a team that's had years to perfect their coordination. You need to match that coordination!"

Weiss was holding her own, using her grenade launcher to maintain space while her teammates revived. But Penny and Pyrrha were already moving to collapse on her position.

"They're learning," Blush said as Yang rematerialized and immediately moved to support Weiss. "Slowly, but they're learning."

"They'll need to learn faster," Adam replied, watching as Blake reappeared and immediately went into void stealth. "Out there, we won't have the luxury of second chances."

The match continued, a dance of Light and tactical choices. Each round taught harsh but necessary lessons about teamwork, positioning, and the price of mistakes. Below, six Guardians fought and fell and rose again, the Crucible doing what it had done for centuries - forging raw potential into refined skill.

"Again!" Shaxx commanded as the round ended. "Show me your Light, Guardians!"

Adam's lips curved slightly. The real training was just beginning.

Yang rematerialized with a gasp, her Ghost's Light still tingling across her skin. Her Last Man Standing felt heavy in her hands as she took stock of the battlefield. Above, Pyrrha had already shifted positions, her Night Watch picking out angles that made advancing difficult. Penny was airborne again, her Wings of Sacred Dawn letting her rain down precise bursts from her Positive Outlook.

"Okay, getting shot isn't fun," Yang muttered, rolling her shoulders. "Time to try something different."

She spotted Blake moving through the shadows to her left, Funnelweb at the ready. Weiss was maintaining suppressing fire with her grenade launcher, keeping Pyrrha from getting too comfortable in her perch.

"Blake, on my mark!" Yang called out. She waited until Penny's attention was drawn by Weiss's latest barrage, then charged. But this time, instead of rushing straight in, she slid into cover, letting her Solar Light build.

"EXCELLENT USE OF TERRAIN, TITAN!" Shaxx's voice boomed. "NOW SHOW THEM YOUR FURY!"

Penny adjusted her hover, trying to get an angle. That's when Blake struck, her void-enhanced Funnelweb forcing Penny to dodge. The momentary distraction was all Yang needed. She burst from cover, Last Man Standing roaring as she closed the distance.

Penny was good - her auto rifle tracking Yang even as she evaded Blake's fire. But Yang had learned from her previous deaths. She didn't try to tank the hits this time. Instead, she let her momentum carry her into a slide, Solar Light erupting from her fists as she came up under Penny's position.

The explosive punch connected, sending Penny tumbling from her aerial perch. "Got you!" Yang grinned.

Her triumph was short-lived. Pyrrha's scout rifle cracked three times in rapid succession, each shot perfectly placed. Yang's shields shattered as she tried to reach cover.

"Yang, down!" Weiss's voice cut through the chaos. Yang dropped instinctively as a grenade sailed over her head, forcing Pyrrha to abandon her position.

"Much better!" Pyrrha called out, genuine approval in her voice even as she smoothly transitioned to new cover. "But don't celebrate kills until you've secured the area!"

Yang grimaced as she reloaded her shotgun. She'd lost track of Pyrrha while focusing on Penny - a rookie mistake. But she was learning. Each death taught her something new about positioning, about timing, about how Light could enhance but not replace solid tactics.

"Blake, can you keep Penny busy?" Yang asked, already formulating a new plan. "Weiss, I need your grenade launcher to—"

Penny rematerialized behind them, her auto rifle already singing. Yang spun, raising Last Man Standing, but she knew she'd be too slow.

The last thing she saw before dissolving into Light again was Penny's apologetic smile.

"DEFEAT TEACHES MORE THAN VICTORY!" Shaxx declared. "Now do it again, but this time remember: awareness is key!"

As Yang's Ghost prepared to bring her back, she could hear the smile in Flare's voice: "You know, if you spent less time punching and more time looking around..."

"Oh shut up," Yang grumbled good-naturedly. But she was already analyzing her mistake, already planning her next approach. She'd beat them eventually.

After all, she had plenty of lives to spend learning how.

Weiss checked her Interference VI's ammo counter and frowned. Empty. Her carefully measured suppression strategy had used the last of her heavy ammunition. Above, Pyrrha was already repositioning, and Weiss could see Penny setting up for another coordinated push.

"No choice then," she muttered, swapping to her Khvostov auto rifle. The basic weapon felt strange compared to her usual armament, but she'd trained with it enough to know its quirks.

"Yang's down again," Blake reported through the comms. "Penny's got the east corridor locked down."

Weiss analyzed the battlefield with practiced efficiency. Without her grenade launcher, she couldn't maintain the same area denial that had been keeping Pyrrha mobile. But maybe...

"Blake, can you pressure Pyrrha's position? I have an idea."

She waited until Blake's void-shrouded form began harassing Pyrrha's perch, then moved. The Khvostov might not have the same stopping power as her heavy weapon, but it had something else - a steady, reliable rate of fire perfect for suppression.

Weiss swept her auto rifle in controlled bursts, not trying to kill but to constrain Pyrrha's movement options. The veteran Guardian was forced to duck as rounds impacted near her position.

"Excellent weapon handling!" Shaxx boomed. "Show them how a Warlock adapts!"

But Pyrrha and Penny hadn't survived this long by being predictable. As Weiss maintained her suppressing fire, Penny swept in from an unexpected angle, her Positive Outlook already tracking.

Weiss didn't try to win the direct firefight. Instead, she channeled her Arc Light, blinking sideways just as Penny's rounds cut through where she'd been standing. The Khvostov's sights lined up as she emerged from the teleport—

Only to find Pyrrha had predicted her movement. The Scout Rifle cracked once.

As Weiss's form dissolved into Light, she couldn't help but admire the tactical coordination she'd just witnessed. "Note to self," she thought as her Ghost prepared to resurrect her, "they're not just predicting our current moves..."

"They're predicting our counters to their counters," Nix finished for her. "Ready to try again?"

"Absolutely," Weiss replied as she rematerialized. The Khvostov materialized in her hands, its familiar weight a reminder that sometimes the simplest tools could be the most effective - if used properly.

She had more to learn. They all did. But with each round, each death, each resurrection, they were getting closer to the level of coordination they'd need.

The next life awaited. And this time, she had a new strategy to try.

Blake materialized in shadow, her void Light naturally bending around her as she took stock of their situation. Yang was pushing forward with her shotgun while Weiss provided covering fire with her Khvostov. Three lives left between them. Not great odds, but they'd faced worse.

"We need to break their coordination," Blake said into the comms, her Funnelweb steady in her hands. "If we can separate them..."

"Agreed," Weiss replied. "Yang, can you—"

"Already on it!" Yang was moving, her Solar Light flaring as she tried to draw Penny's attention.

Blake used the distraction to slip through the shadows, her void abilities masking her approach. If she could just get behind Pyrrha while she was focused on Yang...

But Pyrrha and Penny had been fighting together for years. As Blake emerged from stealth, Funnelweb raised, she realized her mistake. Penny wasn't tracking Yang at all - she'd been waiting for Blake's flank.

The Positive Outlook sang, rounds cutting through Blake's shields before she could fade back into void Light. As she fell, she caught a glimpse of Pyrrha smoothly repositioning, her Night Watch already finding Yang's position.

"Two lives," Nikko warned as Blake rematerialized.

Yang went down next, Pyrrha's precise shots followed by Penny's cleanup. One life left.

"Together!" Weiss called out. "Everything we have!"

They coordinated better than they had all match - Blake's void abilities creating space, Yang's aggressive push forcing reactions, Weiss's tactical positioning nearly perfect. For a moment, it seemed like they might actually break through.

Then Penny took to the air, Wings of Sacred Dawn blazing like a small sun. Pyrrha emerged from multiple angles simultaneously, her Scout Rifle shots coming impossibly fast. They'd been herded, Blake realized too late. Everything they'd done had been anticipated, countered before they'd even moved.

"Last Guardian standing!" Shaxx announced as Yang fell, then Weiss.

Blake tried to void-step away, but there was nowhere to go. Penny and Pyrrha had closed off every escape route. The Positive Outlook's final burst ended the match.

"MATCH COMPLETE!" Shaxx's voice boomed. "A decisive victory! But do not be discouraged, young ones. I saw sparks of greatness in your Light!"

Blake picked herself up as the match barriers fell, her muscles aching despite her Ghost's restoration. Pyrrha and Penny approached, both looking apologetic but pleased.

"That last coordination was much better," Penny offered encouragingly. "You're starting to think as a team."

"Still got a lot to learn though," Yang admitted, rolling her shoulder where Pyrrha's shots had found their mark.

"That's what the Crucible is for," Pyrrha replied warmly. "And you have three weeks to perfect it."

Blake nodded, already analyzing their mistakes, their small victories, the lessons learned in each death. They'd lost soundly, but they'd also learned more in this one match than in all their previous fighting.

"Again?" she asked, looking at her teammates.

Weiss checked her Khvostov with determination. "Again."

"Oh yeah," Yang grinned, Solar Light already flickering around her fists. "We're just getting started."

Above them in the observation deck, Adam nodded slightly. They were learning. Now they just had to survive about a thousand more deaths before they'd be ready.

Good thing Guardians were hard to kill permanently.

"Yang's still charging in headfirst?" Ruby asked with a knowing smile.

"Like a Cabal war beast," Adam confirmed, though there was a hint of approval in his voice. "But she's learning. By the end of the session, she was actually waiting for Blake's void coverage before making her pushes."

Oscar nodded thoughtfully. "And Weiss? Is she adapting to the Warlock abilities?"

"Better than expected," Adam replied, setting down his cup. "She's got a tactical mind. Knows how to control space with her grenade launcher. Though she needs to work on her blink timing - Penny caught her out of position more than once."

"And Blake?" Ruby's tone was carefully neutral, but her eyes were sharp.

Adam's expression softened slightly. "She's... impressive. Natural with void Light. Uses the shadows like she was born to them." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "But she's too cautious sometimes. Waits for the perfect moment instead of seizing good opportunities."

"Sounds familiar," Ruby teased gently.

Adam acknowledged the point with a slight tilt of his head. "They all show promise. But what impressed me most was how they adapted after each death. No complaints, no excuses - just analysis and improvement."

"That's our team," Ruby said proudly. "Quick learners, all of them."

"They'll need to be," Oscar added quietly. "The Dreadnaught won't be forgiving of mistakes."

Adam's expression hardened. "Which is why we're going to run them through every combat scenario we can think of. By the time Wilt is repaired, they'll either be ready..." He let the sentence hang.

"Or they'll have died enough times learning to be ready," Ruby finished. She reached across the table, briefly touching Adam's hand. "Thank you. For training them. For helping them become what they need to be."

Adam looked down at where her hand had touched his, centuries of shared history in that simple gesture. "They're worth teaching," he said finally. "All of them."

Adam took another sip from his cup, studying his old friends across the table. "What about you two? While I'm running your team through the Crucible gauntlet, what have you been up to?"

Ruby and Oscar exchanged glances before Ruby broke into an excited grin. "I've been checking out the weapon foundries. You should see what they've done with Arc technology! Omolon's got this new line of fusion rifles that would make Banshee weep." Her eyes lit up with that familiar gleam she always got when discussing weapons. "And don't even get me started on what SUROS has done with adaptive frame tech."

"Still the weapon enthusiast, I see," Adam said dryly, though there was fondness in his tone.

"Some things never change," Oscar added with a soft smile. "Though she did spend three hours arguing with Lord Shaxx about the optimal grip angle for hand cannons."

"It was a productive discussion!" Ruby protested. "And he admitted I had some good points about recoil compensation."

"After you challenged him to a demonstration match," Oscar reminded her. "Which, by the way, half the Tower showed up to watch."

Adam turned to Oscar. "And you? Still buried in research?"

Oscar's expression sobered slightly. "My old notes... there are gaps. Things I was working on before..." he gestured vaguely, indicating his centuries trapped between realities. "The theory was sound, but something's missing. A critical component I can't quite remember."

"And Jaune?" Adam asked carefully. "Any sign of where he might have gone looking for you?"

Oscar shook his head. "He was tracking my research sites, following my trail. But where that trail led him..." He sighed heavily. "That's what we need to find out on the Dreadnaught."

"If Savathûn hasn't gotten there first," Ruby added, her earlier enthusiasm dampening. "That corrupted Knight we encountered wasn't a coincidence. She's looking for something specific."

Oscar's hand unconsciously touched the tome secured at his belt. "The Witch Queen's clever, but without understanding the underlying principles of my research—"

"Save the physics lesson for Ikora," Adam interrupted, though there was a hint of affection in his tone. "What do you need from me?"

Ruby straightened, her silver eyes taking on that sharp focus that Adam remembered from countless battles. "Keep training them. Get them ready. When we make our move on the Dreadnaught, we'll need everyone at their absolute best."

Adam nodded, his own expression hardening with purpose. "They'll be ready. I promise."

The ramen shop tucked away in the Tower's eastern district buzzed with evening activity as Yang slurped noodles with characteristic enthusiasm. Around the circular table, Blake picked delicately at her fish bowl while Weiss maintained perfect posture despite her obvious exhaustion. Penny and Pyrrha sat with them, both looking far less worn from the day's training.

"I can't believe you hit me with that sniper shot while falling backwards," Yang said to Pyrrha, gesturing with her chopsticks. "I didn't even see you draw the weapon!"

Pyrrha smiled modestly. "Years of practice. Though that Solar uppercut you landed on Penny was quite impressive."

"Before she shot me out of the air," Penny added cheerfully, her green eyes bright with amusement. "Three times in a row!"

Blake's ears twitched as she set down her chopsticks. "I still can't get over how natural you make those aerial maneuvers look, Penny. Every time I thought I had you flanked, you'd just... float away."

"The Wings of Sacred Dawn take some getting used to," Penny acknowledged. "But once you understand the Light physics involved—"

"Please," Weiss groaned, rubbing her temples. "No more physics. My head's still spinning from trying to calculate blink trajectories under fire."

"You're getting better though," Pyrrha offered encouragingly. "That last-second blink around the corner to avoid my scout rifle? Very smooth."

"Until Penny caught me mid-teleport," Weiss sighed, though a small smile tugged at her lips.

"That's what training's for!" Penny beamed. "Learning from our mistakes through multiple horrible deaths!"

"You don't have to sound so happy about killing us," Yang muttered, but her tone was playful.

"Consider it payback for all the times you punched me off the map at Beacon," Penny replied with a wink.

The group laughed, the shared memories of their past lives mixing comfortably with their new experiences. Blake watched them with quiet contentment, noting how naturally they'd fallen back into their old dynamic despite everything that had changed.

"It's strange," she said softly, drawing their attention. "Fighting alongside you all again, but with these new abilities, these new roles..."

"We're still us," Weiss pointed out. "Just... with some upgrades."

"And a lot more dying," Yang added, slurping another mouthful of noodles.

Pyrrha leaned forward slightly, her expression growing more serious. "You're all adapting remarkably well. Most new Guardians take months to reach the level of coordination you showed today."

"Though you still need to work on your timing," Penny added. "Especially with combining abilities. Remember that failed attempt at chaining Yang's Solar burst with Blake's void tether?"

"You mean when I accidentally launched myself into orbit?" Yang grinned. "Good times."

"Adam says we have three weeks to get it right," Blake mused, her ears flicking thoughtfully. "Before the ship's repaired."

"Three weeks to master abilities that usually take years to perfect," Weiss sighed. "No pressure."

"If anyone can do it, it's you three," Penny said firmly. "You've already got the most important part down."

"Which is?" Yang asked around a mouthful of noodles, earning a disapproving look from Weiss.

"Trust," Pyrrha answered simply. "You trust each other instinctively, even with these new abilities. That's not something that can be taught."

The group fell quiet for a moment, absorbing this. Finally, Blake raised her cup in a small toast.

"To trust then," she said softly. "And to horrible, educational deaths."

The others laughed, raising their own cups. As they continued their meal, trading stories and strategies, the weight of their upcoming mission seemed a little lighter. They were growing stronger, not just as individuals, but as a team.

And in three weeks, they'd need every bit of that strength.

Yang finished her bowl and glanced around the table. "Anyone seen Ruby and Oscar today? They weren't at the Crucible matches."

Blake's ears twitched mischievously, a rare smirk playing across her lips. "Oh, they're probably just doing what they were doing when you barged into their room the other day."

Yang's face immediately turned crimson. "Blake!"

Penny tilted her head curiously while Pyrrha's eyes widened with interest. Weiss nearly choked on her tea.

"Wait, what happened?" Penny asked, her green eyes bright with curiosity.

"Nothing!" Yang squeaked, her voice unusually high. "Nothing happened! Everything was fine!"

"Yang kicked down Ruby's door because we heard a crash," Blake explained, clearly enjoying her partner's discomfort. "And found Ruby wearing Oscar's robe inside out while he was tangled in the sheets on the floor."

Pyrrha covered her mouth to hide her smile while Penny looked delighted. "Oh my! Did you at least knock first?"

"I thought they were in trouble!" Yang protested, her face now matching her sister's namesake. "There was a loud noise and..."

"And you got to see firsthand that your sister's very much grown up," Weiss added dryly.

"Can we please talk about literally anything else?" Yang groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Like death. Death is good. Let's talk more about dying horribly in the Crucible."

"Your sister is several centuries old, Yang," Pyrrha reminded her gently, though her eyes sparkled with amusement. "And she and Oscar have been married for quite a while."

"That doesn't mean I need to see... that!" Yang's voice cracked slightly.

"See what?" Penny asked innocently, causing Blake to snort into her drink.

"I hate all of you," Yang muttered, but there was no real heat in her words. "Especially you, Blake. You're sleeping on the couch tonight."

"We don't have a couch," Blake pointed out. "We have standard Tower quarters."

"Then I'll build one just so you can sleep on it!"

"You have to admit," Pyrrha said gently, "it's rather sweet in its way. They were separated across realities for centuries, each thinking the other was lost forever. Of course they'd want to spend time together now that they've found each other again."

"I know, I know," Yang groaned, though her expression softened slightly. "It's just... that's my sister. No matter how many centuries pass, some things you're just not ready to see."

"Like your sister's love life?" Blake teased.

Her ears twitched as she pulled out a small notebook. "Actually, their story has all the elements of a perfect romance novel. Two lovers separated by time and space, each thinking the other lost forever, only to find their way back to each other across centuries and realities..." She started jotting notes. "I could call it 'Scattered Rose' or maybe 'Light of Lost Love'..."

"Blake, no!" Yang looked horrified.

"Blake, yes," Weiss said with a smirk. "I'd read it."