Chapter 40: Leviathan I
The hangar buzzed with activity as the team loaded their gear onto Wilt. Ruby checked her weapons one final time while Oscar secured the tome at his belt. Penny hovered near Pyrrha, watching her teammate stow Gjallarhorn in the ship's weapon rack.
"You're not bringing Touch of Malice?" Penny asked, her head tilting curiously. "I thought you might want its power for whatever challenges await us on the Leviathan."
Pyrrha shook her head, patting Gjallarhorn's decorated frame. "I prefer reliability over raw power. Something about carrying a weapon with a Hive god's essence never sat right with me, even if it is contained."
"Wait, what?" Yang called from where she was helping load supplies. "You have a gun with a what in it?"
"Touch of Malice contains a fragment of Oryx's essence," Penny explained cheerfully. "It's quite fascinating really - it uses the wielder's own Light to power devastating attacks! Though it does hurt you in the process..."
Yang stared at Pyrrha. "And you just... keep that in the Tower's vault? Like, next to regular guns?"
"It's perfectly safe," Pyrrha assured her, though she couldn't help smiling at Yang's expression. "The containment systems are quite robust. But I still prefer weapons that don't try to consume my Light."
"Yeah, I'm with you on that one," Yang muttered, eyeing the weapon rack warily. "Some things should stay dead, not get turned into guns that live in our storage."
Adam finished his pre-flight checks, calling out: "Five minutes to departure. Get strapped in."
As the team made their final preparations, Yang could be heard muttering: "A gun with a Hive god in it... what's next, a sword that eats dreams?"
"Oh, funny you should mention that..." Penny started, but Ruby quickly shepherded her toward the ship before she could elaborate further.
The Leviathan's massive form filled Wilt's viewports as they approached, its golden hull gleaming in Nessus's strange light. The ship was unlike anything they'd seen - part palace, part weapon, and large enough to devour entire worlds.
The comm system crackled to life with a deep, resonant voice that somehow managed to sound both welcoming and threatening at the same time:
"Welcome, welcome my illustrious guests! The heroes who struck down the usurper Ghaul, come to bask in the glory of my Leviathan! I, Emperor Calus, have prepared tests worthy of your valor. Come! Prove yourselves in my games, and earn rewards beyond imagination!"
Jaune shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Is anyone else getting serious alarm bells from this? Because everything about this feels... off."
"Oh thank the Light," Ruby exhaled. "I thought it was just me."
"No, definitely not just you," Penny confirmed, her usual cheerfulness tempered by caution. "My threat assessment protocols are quite insistent about it."
Oscar's hand unconsciously touched the tome at his belt. "There's something ancient about this ship. Something that reminds me of the Dreadnaught, though the power is... different."
"It's the grandeur," Adam said grimly. "The Hive corrupt through darkness, but the Cabal..." He gestured at the ornate vessel before them. "They corrupt through excess, through ceremony, through the promise of power and glory."
"Well," Pyrrha checked her weapons one final time, "at least we all know we're walking into a trap."
"A very elaborate, very deadly trap," Jaune agreed, somehow sounding more relaxed now that everyone shared his concerns. "Just like old times?"
"Just like old times," Ruby confirmed with a dangerous smile. "Though this time, we're walking in with our eyes open."
The Leviathan's docking bay opened before them like a massive maw, golden light spilling out into space. As Wilt began its approach, they could hear Calus's laughter echoing through the comm system - the sound of an emperor preparing to be entertained.
Whether that entertainment would come from their victory or their deaths remained to be seen.
Wilt's engines powered down as they landed in the massive docking bay, the golden light that had seemed welcoming from outside now carrying an artificial, almost sickly quality. Ornate banners bearing Cabal symbols hung from towering pillars, while massive holographic projections of a masked face - presumably Calus - smiled down at them with manufactured benevolence.
"Well," Ruby muttered as they disembarked, "he certainly has a flair for dramatics."
The sound of their boots on the polished deck seemed unnaturally loud in the vast space. Despite the grandiose welcome, an eerie silence pressed in around them, broken only by the mechanical whirring of patrolling Loyalist Watchers - robotic sentinels that tracked their movement with unblinking red eyes.
Calus's booming laughter echoed through hidden speakers, making them all tense instinctively. "My glorious champions! How magnificent you look, standing in my halls! Surely you must be famished after your journey? Come, partake of my hospitality!"
A section of wall slid aside with theatrical timing, revealing a long feast table that seemed to materialize from nowhere. Golden goblets caught the light, while exotic dishes and alien delicacies released enticing aromas into the air. The entire display screamed 'trap' so loudly it was almost insulting.
"Really?" Jaune's voice dripped with skepticism. "He doesn't actually expect us to fall for this, does he?"
"Of course not," Oscar replied quietly, studying the room's architecture. "This is just the opening move - setting the tone. Everything here is about excess, about temptation. He's showing us what he can offer..."
"While testing how we respond," Adam finished, his hand never far from Rose's grip. "Classic Cabal power play."
Penny's usually bright demeanor had taken on a more analytical edge. "The structural design is fascinating though - notice how every line draws the eye toward that central throne? The entire ship seems built to reinforce his authority."
"Stay alert," Pyrrha warned, her own weapon ready. "Those Watchers may look decorative, but I'm detecting serious firepower hidden beneath the gold plating."
Another bout of Calus's laughter boomed through the chamber. "Such caution! Such wisdom! But fear not, my destined champions - the true tests await deeper within my vessel. Prove yourselves worthy, and all the riches of my empire could be yours!"
Ruby's silver eyes narrowed as she studied the path ahead. "Well team, looks like we're in for quite a show. Everyone remember the plan?"
"Stay together, trust no one, and be ready for anything," Jaune recited. "Though I have a feeling this emperor's 'tests' are going to make the Crucible look like a warm-up."
"That's what makes it interesting," Ruby replied with a dangerous smile. "Let's see what games our host has prepared."
They moved forward as one unit, ignoring the feast table and its obvious lure. The Watchers' red eyes tracked their progress, while Calus's masked visage smiled down with the patient anticipation of someone who had waited a very long time to be entertained.
The true trials still awaited them in the depths of the Leviathan. But this opening act - this false welcome dripping with excess and hidden threat - had told them everything they needed to know about their host.
The question was: would that knowledge be enough to survive what came next?
The massive doors ahead slammed shut with a resounding boom that echoed through the chamber. Before anyone could react, war horns blasted from above as armored figures descended from previously hidden balconies - Loyalist Cabal in ornate golden armor, their weapons already tracking targets.
"Contact high!" Ruby called out, her form blurring as she dodged the first sniper round. The shot cratered the deck where she'd been standing moments before. "So much for the welcome party!"
"Standard formation!" Jaune commanded, immediately falling into tactical mode. "They're blocking our advance - look for the Bearers!"
Penny's wings flared as she took to the air, drawing fire while scanning the battlefield. "Multiple Standard Bearers detected! They appear to be carrying some kind of ceremonial keys!"
A Centurion's slug round nearly took Oscar's head off, but he blinked away in a flash of void energy. "This isn't random," he called out, tome pulsing at his belt. "The positioning, the timing - it's all choreographed!"
"It's a trial by combat," Adam confirmed grimly, Rose barking in his hands as he dropped two Psions trying to flank their position. "Old Cabal tradition - proving worth through ritual warfare."
Pyrrha's spear materialized as she engaged a charging Gladiator. "Just like the ancient warlords," she agreed, her movements flowing like water as she parried the massive Cabal's cleaver. "Everything has meaning here - even how we fight!"
More Loyalists poured in from side passages, their weapons filling the air with crackling energy and explosive rounds. The team moved with practiced coordination, years of training evident in how they covered each other's angles.
"Standard Bearer moving right!" Penny called from above, her own weapons providing suppressing fire. "Two more approaching from the north entrance!"
"I see them," Ruby confirmed, her scythe materializing in a flash of Arc energy. She carved through a group of Legionaries, clearing a path toward one of the key-carrying Bearers. "These keys must be our way forward!"
Oscar's void energy pulsed as he created a temporary safe zone. "The patterns on their standards - they match symbols we saw in the entrance hall. This isn't just combat, it's a puzzle!"
"A puzzle we solve with violence," Jaune noted, his shield flaring as he blocked a barrage of slug rounds. "Very Cabal."
Calus's laughter boomed through hidden speakers: "YES! Show me your strength, your cunning! Prove yourselves worthy of my attention!"
"He's enjoying this," Pyrrha observed, her spear finding another Bearer's weak point. The massive Cabal fell, its ceremonial key clattering to the deck.
"Then let's give him a show," Ruby called back, her scythe leaving trails of lightning as she moved. "Everyone focus the Bearers - we need those keys to advance!"
The battle intensified as more Loyalists joined the fray. But the team had faced worse odds before. They moved like a single unit, their Light combining in devastating combinations as they fought their way toward their objectives.
Above it all, Calus's masked visage smiled down at the carnage - an emperor watching his entertainment unfold exactly as planned. The real trials still awaited deeper in the Leviathan, but this opening act had proven one thing:
His chosen champions knew how to put on a proper performance.
The question was: would they maintain such spectacular form through the challenges yet to come?
"Got another key!" Penny announced triumphantly, diving to snatch a standard from a fallen Bearer. "That makes three!"
"One more," Ruby confirmed, already moving toward the final Bearer's position. "Then we see what's behind those doors."
"Assuming they actually open," Jaune added, though there was a grin in his voice. "Anyone else feeling nostalgic for Crucible training?"
"Less talking, more fighting," Adam called back, Rose finding its mark again and again. "Save the nostalgia for when we're not surrounded by angry Cabal."
The chamber echoed with gunfire, explosions, and the clash of Light against steel as they pressed toward their goal. This was just the beginning - the entry test to prove they deserved a shot at Calus's true challenges.
But they were already proving themselves worthy of the emperor's attention. Whether that was a good thing remained to be seen.
As the massive doors finally ground open, the team regrouped in the relative safety of the entrance corridor. The sounds of battle still echoed behind them, though the Loyalists had withdrawn once all four keys were secured.
"Well," Ruby said, checking her ammunition, "that was definitely a test. But of what exactly?"
"Coordination," Jaune replied, his tactical mind already analyzing the encounter. "Did you notice how the Bearers were positioned? They forced us to split our attention without breaking formation."
Penny nodded enthusiastically, her wings still glowing faintly from the fight. "And the timing of the reinforcements! Each wave came just as we were about to secure a key. Very precise."
"He was watching how we adapted," Adam added, reloading Rose with practiced efficiency. "The Cabal respect strength, but they value discipline more. This wasn't just about killing enemies."
Oscar studied the ornate markings on the keys they'd collected. "These symbols... they're more than just decorative. The positioning, the sequence - everything about this encounter was ritualized."
"Like a dance," Pyrrha agreed, her spear dematerializing as she spoke. "But one where a single misstep could be fatal. Calus wasn't just testing our combat skills..."
"He was testing our worthiness," Ruby finished. "The Cabal Empire runs on ceremony and tradition. Even their violence has meaning."
A distant boom echoed through the corridor ahead, followed by what sounded like machinery powering up. Calus's laughter rolled through hidden speakers:
"Magnificent! Simply magnificent! But that was merely the prelude, my champions. The true tests await deeper within my vessel. Come! Show me more of your glorious Light!"
"Anyone else getting really tired of his commentary?" Jaune asked, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
"At least he's entertaining," Penny offered brightly. "Most of our enemies just try to kill us without any dramatic flair."
"Stay focused," Adam warned, though even he seemed more relaxed after successfully navigating the first trial. "Something tells me the next challenge won't be as straightforward as a simple combat test."
"When is it ever?" Ruby replied with a dangerous smile. She checked her weapon one final time before gesturing toward the corridor ahead. "Shall we see what other games our host has prepared?"
They moved forward as one unit, their Light humming with renewed purpose after the victory. The first test had been passed, but they all knew it was just the beginning.
Somewhere ahead, in the depths of his golden ship, an emperor waited to be impressed. They intended to give him quite a show.
The chamber stretched out before them, four ceremonial plates arranged around a central pool of what appeared to be shimmering liquid Light. Ornate statues of Calus loomed overhead, their golden faces seeming to watch every movement with manufactured benevolence. The polished metal surfaces reflected their own images back at them, distorted and strange in the artificial glow.
"Well, this looks deceptively simple," Ruby muttered, studying the layout. "Four plates, six of us..."
Before anyone could respond, war horns blasted from hidden alcoves. The liquid in the central pool began to bubble and churn as massive figures emerged - Bathers, their corrupted forms wreathed in ceremonial chains. Steam rose from their twisted bodies as they climbed from the pool, ancient metal clanking with each movement.
"Multiple hostiles incoming!" Penny called out, her wings flaring as she took to the air. "Detecting movement from all entrances! Cabal signatures - heavy units!"
"Split up!" Jaune commanded. "Two per plate - we can't let them overwhelm any single position! Penny, maintain air superiority!"
They moved with practiced coordination - Jaune and Pyrrha taking the front plate, Oscar and Ruby the right, while Adam secured the rear with supporting fire from Penny above. The first wave of Loyalist forces poured in from previously hidden doors, their weapons already tracking targets.
The battle erupted in earnest. Jaune's shield flared as he blocked a barrage of slug rounds, while Pyrrha's spear found gaps in Legionary armor with deadly precision. Three Psions tried to flank their position, but Pyrrha's thrown shield caught them mid-leap, the void energy dispersing their bodies into particles of Light.
On the right plate, Ruby's scythe carved arcs of lightning through approaching Legionaries. Oscar's fusion rifle - Main Ingredient - hummed with power as he laid down suppressing fire, void bolts tracking multiple targets. A Centurion charged their position, but Ruby's blade caught it mid-stride, the massive Cabal dissolving in a burst of Arc energy.
"Keep the plates secure!" Ruby called out as she spun to engage another group. "Don't let them-"
Her words cut off in a gasp of pain. A strange energy was building around them, seeming to emanate from the central pool. It felt... wrong, like their Light was being slowly drained away. The sensation started at their feet and crawled upward, an inexorable tide of weakness.
Adam noticed it first at his position, his movements becoming sluggish as he tried to defend against a pair of Gladiators. Rose's rounds still found their marks, but each shot required more effort. His attempts to summon a barricade resulted in only flickering light.
"Something's affecting our Light!" Oscar warned, the tome at his belt pulsing erratically. "Some kind of suppression field! It's... it's consuming us!"
Above, Penny's wings began to sputter. She managed to unleash a burst from her Wardcliff Coil that decimated an approaching phalanx formation, but the recoil sent her spiraling as her Light failed to compensate. She crashed hard near Oscar's position, her usual grace abandoned as the mysterious drain took hold.
Calus's laughter boomed through the chamber: "Come now, champions! Surely you didn't think it would be that simple? Every trial requires... proper ceremony!"
The drain intensified. One by one, they felt their strength ebbing away. Even their weapons seemed to grow heavier in their hands. Jaune tried to maintain a defensive line, but his shield flickered and died as a Bather's chains wrapped around his leg. The massive creature dragged him from the plate despite Pyrrha's desperate attempt to reach him.
"We're missing something," Pyrrha managed through gritted teeth, her spear barely deflecting another Bather's charge. "This can't just be about combat... there has to be a way to-"
A Psion's blast caught her in the side, sending her staggering. Three more Bathers emerged from the pool, steam rising from their corrupted forms as ceremonial oil dripped from their chains. Ruby tried to reach Pyrrha's position, but the drain had become overwhelming. Her scythe dissolved into sparks of failing Light as she collapsed.
Oscar fell next, the tome's energy sputtering out as a Centurion's slug launcher found its mark. He had almost reached Ruby's position, his hand outstretched toward his old friend before darkness claimed him. Adam made a final stand at his plate, Rose's rounds dropping two more Legionaries before a Gladiator's blade found an opening.
Jaune and Pyrrha managed to fight their way back together, standing guard over their fallen teammates. They moved in perfect sync despite their failing strength - sword and spear creating a deadly dance that held back the tide for precious seconds. But it wasn't enough. A concentrated barrage from multiple Psions shattered Jaune's weakened defenses, while a Bather's chains wrapped around Pyrrha's spear arm.
As darkness claimed them, Calus's voice carried a note of disappointment: "Oh dear. Perhaps I should have explained the cleansing ritual first? No matter - try again, my champions! The game has only begun!"
Their Ghosts began the resurrection process as the chamber reset itself, ready for another attempt. The golden statues seemed to mock them with their eternal smiles as the team reformed, battered but determined. This time, they would need to unravel the mystery of the plates and the pool - and learn the proper ceremony Calus demanded of his challengers.
The real trial, it seemed, was just beginning.
"Well," Ruby said as she materialized, checking her weapons, "that could have gone better."
"The plates," Oscar mused, studying them with renewed focus. "They must be part of the cleansing ritual he mentioned. Perhaps if we..."
"Round two," Jaune announced grimly, readying his shield. "This time we figure out the ceremony before that drain kills us."
War horns sounded again as fresh waves of Loyalists began pouring into the chamber. The trial had reset, but this time they had a crucial piece of information. Now they just had to survive long enough to use it.
"Wait!" Oscar called out as the team prepared for their second attempt. "Look at the plates - there's a subtle resonance when we stand on them. The same energy as the pool, but... purified somehow."
Penny hovered near one of the plates, her sensors scanning actively. "He's right! The plates seem to provide temporary protection from the draining effect. But..." She frowned, watching the energy patterns shift. "It's not permanent. The protection fades after approximately 45 seconds."
"Rotation," Ruby realized, her silver eyes lighting up. "We need to rotate between plates to maintain the cleanse. Classic ritual structure - constant movement, constant renewal."
The war horns blasted again, signaling the start of their second attempt. This time they were ready.
"Four plates, two floaters," Jaune called out, tactical mind already working. "Ruby, take point with me. Oscar, you and Adam hold the right side. Pyrrha and Penny, you're our mobile response team. Watch for the timer and call rotations!"
They moved into position just as the first Bathers emerged from the central pool. The battle erupted with renewed focus, their understanding of the mechanics adding layers to their strategy.
"Thirty seconds on cleanse!" Penny announced, her Wings of Sacred Dawn letting her maintain oversight while supporting with precision fire. Her auto rifle traced deadly patterns through groups of Legionaries trying to overwhelm Oscar's position.
"Multiple Psions, left side!" Pyrrha called out, her spear already moving to intercept. She caught the first one mid-teleport, void energy dispersing its form. Two more tried to flank, but precise shots from Adam's Rose dropped them before they could complete their maneuver.
Oscar's fusion rifle hummed as he locked down approaches to their plate. Main Ingredient's void bolts tracked multiple targets, while periodic rifts kept himself and Adam sustained through waves of incoming fire. "Twenty seconds! Prepare to rotate!"
Ruby's scythe carved lightning through the chaos as she defended her plate. A Centurion charged her position, but Jaune's shield caught its blade. The massive Cabal staggered back, momentarily exposed, and Ruby's Arc Light ended it.
"Ten seconds!" Penny's voice carried clearly despite the battle. "Next rotation on my mark!"
A fresh wave of Bathers emerged from the pool, their chains clanking ominously. But this time the team was ready. As the cleanse timer hit zero, they executed a practiced rotation - each pair moving clockwise to the next plate while maintaining coverage of their sectors.
"Cleanse renewed!" Penny confirmed. "Forty-five seconds until next rotation. Cabal reinforcements incoming from northern doors!"
The battle fell into a rhythm - defend, rotate, cleanse, repeat. Each cycle brought new challenges as Calus's forces tried to disrupt their pattern. Gladiators charged plate positions while Psions attempted to separate defenders with their telekinetic blasts. Bathers emerged in steadily increasing numbers, their ceremonial chains seeking any gap in the team's coordination.
"Plate three is getting overwhelmed!" Pyrrha called out, already moving to support. Her spear found the first Bather's weak point while Penny's Wardcliff Coil cleared the approaching horde with a devastating barrage.
"Rotation in fifteen!" Oscar announced, his rift energy keeping Adam alive through a concentrated assault from multiple Phalanxes. "Watch the timing!"
They had mastered the basic mechanic, but the challenge was far from over. Each wave brought new complications, testing not just their combat skills but their ability to maintain perfect timing under pressure.
Above it all, Calus's laughter echoed with genuine enjoyment: "YES! Now you understand! Show me your dedication to the ritual! Prove your worth through perfect ceremony!"
"Less commentary, more fighting," Adam muttered as Rose found another Psion's weak point. A Gladiator tried to rush their plate, but his precisely placed solar knife ended that charge.
"Final wave incoming!" Penny's warning carried urgency. "Multiple heavy signatures - this is the big one!"
The chamber trembled as a truly massive Bather emerged from the central pool, its chains glowing with corrupt energy. Supporting forces poured in from every entrance - an overwhelming tide of Cabal might meant to break their rotation once and for all.
"Hold formation!" Ruby commanded, her scythe trailing lightning as she prepared to meet the onslaught. "We've come too far to fail now!"
The real test was just beginning. They had solved the ritual's mystery - now they just had to survive its ultimate challenge.
The massive Bather towered over its smaller brethren, ceremonial chains glowing with corrupt Light as it emerged fully from the pool. The chamber shook with each step as it advanced on Ruby and Jaune's position.
"Well," Ruby called out, her scythe humming with Arc energy, "that's definitely the biggest one yet!"
"Twenty seconds to rotation!" Penny announced from above. "Multiple Psion squads trying to flank plates two and four!"
The battle reached its crescendo. The giant Bather's chains lashed out with devastating force, cratering the deck where Ruby had stood moments before. She flowed around the attack, her scythe leaving trails of lightning as she struck at its legs. Jaune's shield flared as he blocked a follow-up swing, giving Ruby the opening she needed.
"Oscar, Adam - keep those Psions off our backs!" Ruby called out as she pressed her attack. "Pyrrha, Penny - we need artillery on this big guy!"
On the right plate, Oscar's fusion rifle sang a deadly chorus. Main Ingredient's void bolts tracked multiple Psions trying to teleport into their position. Adam's Rose barked in perfect rhythm, each shot finding a critical point. Between them, no flanking attempt succeeded.
"Rotation in ten!" Penny called while unleashing another salvo from Wardcliff Coil. The rockets carved fiery paths through the air before hammering the massive Bather. Its armor cracked but held as it roared in defiance.
"Together!" Pyrrha announced, her spear already in motion. She and Penny combined their assault - precision strikes from above while Pyrrha engaged at close range. The giant Bather's attention split, giving Ruby and Jaune the opening they needed.
"Now!" Ruby commanded. Lightning exploded from her scythe as Jaune's shield throw connected. The combined assault finally staggered the massive creature.
"Rotation!" Penny's call triggered their practiced movement. Each pair flowed to their next position, maintaining perfect coverage despite the chaos. The cleanse renewed just as the drain would have overwhelmed them.
"Multiple Centurions, northern approach!" Oscar warned, his rift energy barely keeping up with incoming damage. "They're trying to disrupt our timing!"
"Not today," Adam replied grimly. Solar Light erupted as he unleashed a barrage of burning knives. The Centurions' charge faltered, their shields failing under the assault.
The giant Bather recovered, its chains lashing out with renewed fury. But now they had its pattern. Ruby flowed between the attacks while Jaune's defensive line never wavered. Penny and Pyrrha maintained constant pressure from multiple angles, never letting it focus on a single target.
"Final rotation approaching!" Penny announced. "Ten seconds!"
The chamber filled with one last wave of Loyalist forces - a desperate attempt to break their coordination. But they had come too far to fail now. The rotation executed perfectly, cleansing renewed as they made their final push.
"Everything we have!" Ruby commanded. "End this!"
Their Light combined in a devastating symphony. Ruby's Arc scythe carved paths for Jaune's void-wrapped shield throws. Oscar's fusion rifle created killing zones while Adam's precision eliminated priority targets. Above, Penny's Wardcliff Coil rained destruction while Pyrrha's spear found every weak point they created.
The giant Bather's armor finally shattered under their assault. As it fell, its chains dissolving into whispers of corrupt Light, the remaining Loyalists began to withdraw. Victory had been earned through perfect execution of Calus's ritual.
"MAGNIFICENT!" The emperor's voice boomed with genuine pleasure. "Such coordination! Such dedication to proper ceremony! Truly you prove yourselves worthy of my attention!"
They regrouped at the central plate, exhausted but triumphant. The chamber's oppressive atmosphere had lifted, the drain no longer affecting them.
"Well," Jaune managed between breaths, "that was... intense."
"Just the first real challenge," Ruby reminded them, though she was smiling. "Something tells me our host has plenty more tests waiting."
"Good," Pyrrha replied, her own satisfaction evident. "We're just getting warmed up."
The chamber's far doors began to open, revealing their path deeper into the Leviathan. Beyond lay more trials, more challenges designed to test their limits. But they had proven themselves a worthy fireteam - able to unravel Calus's puzzles while maintaining perfect combat coordination.
Whatever waited ahead, they would face it together.
Above them, Calus's laughter echoed with anticipation. The show, it seemed, was just beginning.
Thank you, ArgentumAuream, for your feedback. In a sense, yes, you are correct. All of the old guards (Ruby, Oscar, Jaune, Adam) are very much echoes of their remnant selves changed over centuries, memories of before aren't as sharp as they would like. A part of this story will be about bridging the gap; a lot of things are planned for the forsaken era. At the beginning, I have to admit that I was trying to first get all nine characters together, I initially didn't have the 2 week training period. I do need to get the hang of properly describing everyone's supers because Yang's is a solar fists of havoc, Blake's is essentially spectral blades that tether on heavy hits, and Wiess is one I need to brainstorm on how to make more different since it's just a more focused stormcaller, and Pyrrha I also need to make more different. The team composition will vary from arc to arc; for now, I wanted the new lights on their own for a bit. The new lights lack self-reflection, something I may go back to and fix; essentially, I was trying to make them focus on finding Ruby and then Jaune so that they wouldn't have the time or mental bandwidth to question everything; with time away, that may change. There is a 5/9 chance of them getting answers about why they're on Earth and what happened to Remant, but their will is not their own. The Adam focus mainly came from his initial role of gathering the new lights, but it did get away from me a bit.
Thank you again for your review; it actually reminded me about plot points that I outlined but got forgotten after I redrafted the Titan and City chapters.