"Look at you, hot shot," Franz laughed as he approached where Wren was sitting in a safe zone overlooking the Cabal ship. He and Beorn boosted up to the lookout spot and sat beside her while they waited to get word from Zavala. "I heard you wrecked Eris Morn's ship."

"That's not exactly what happened," Wren said. "The stealth drive Cayde equipped it with failed and the weapon fired on me. Lucky I was close enough for Kiran to transmat me in or…"

"We're glad you're okay," Beorn said. "You've been out and about on your own a lot lately."

Wren watched a skirmish in the distance between Cabal guarding their ship and the relentless Hive that kept coming from the shadows and dark corners of the Dreadnaught. They outnumbered the Cabal, that much was sure. The Dreadnaught was the largest ship she'd seen before and one little Cabal ship was nothing. Especially if the Guardians were sent in.

"Yeah," she said, realizing she'd left too much time before her answer. "I sort of like it, but I also miss being in a team."

"Except Flak," Franz said.

Wren smirked. "Except Flak."

"You seem distracted," Beorn said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Wren leaned forward to brace on her knees and watched the fighting. "Feels weird. Watching them like this. I don't know why the Cabal are here but the Hive just keep coming. The Cabal are better equipped for the most part but they can't keep up with the numbers."

"There doesn't seem to be many dead Cabal," Beorn said. "Doesn't look like they're doing too bad defending themselves."

"They've been dragging their dead and wounded back inside."

"Huh… must have a med bay or something," Franz shrugged.

"If we're sent in, it won't matter," Wren said. "Usually we don't have time to think about it, we just go. We clear the area and get what we came for. Sitting here and watching them knowing I'll likely be sent in to clear them out feels strange. The Hive will take over once we're gone and likely rebuild the breach in the hull and the only sign the Cabal were ever here would be a ship full of corpses."

"They wouldn't give you the same consideration," Beorn said gently.

"No joke. They'd shoot you on sight without a second thought," Franz said, standing as the comms began to crackle.

"Guardians," Zavala said, "Oryx could be anywhere on that ship and given the time, we could find him. However, we don't have time. We believe the Cabal might have been there long enough for them to have some kind of idea as to where he is. The path to Oryx lies on that ship."

"We're headed down now," Beorn said, taking lead on their little team.

"What's the status?"

"The Cabal are holding out but Wren said they've been dragging their wounded and dead back into the ship. Still seems to be a good number of survivors."

"Survival is a temporary condition. Cut through them and get inside that ship."

"Yes Commander."

"Who fights this hard to protect a crashed ship?" Franz said as their progress was slowed near the remnants of the tank Wren had taken down when Zavala and Cayde had cuts comms with her.

"It's not a crashed ship," Zavala said. "It's a beachhead. The only way they'll open the doors for you to get in is to send reinforcements. You'll have to draw them out."

"We have to get those Hive down fast before more show up," Beorn said, pushing far right of the outer edge of where the Cabal had set up barricades. The Cabal caught sight of the Guardians and a group of Phalanx put up shields. "Wren, get around the back of those Phalanx's and get some grenades in there. The last thing we need is them to hold us off long enough for the Hive to trap us between them and the Cabal."

Wren gave a curt nod and dropped off the sheer dirt ledge to skirt the area until she could hop up closer to the ship, behind the Phalanx line. She was able to surprise them with a grenade and most of them dropped their shields, giving Beorn and Franz an opportunity to push through their line and take them down.

Beorn lagged behind a little and Franz ran to Wren but as he cleared a stack of Cabal crates a Centurion came out of nowhere and smashed the butt of his weapon down into Franz's shoulder, forcing the Warlock to his knees. An instant later Beorn was on the Centurion's back, firing into his skull while Wren pulled Franz away from getting trampled. He scrambled up with her and away as the Centurion fell where Franz had just been.

"You have to pay attention," Beorn said as he trotted up to them. He grabbed the back of Franz's neck and bumped heads with him. "Scrawny ass would get stomped by one of those Centurions."

"Not scrawny," Franz muttered.

The doors began to slide open behind them, red lights flashing in the room beyond. Across from it more Hive rushed over the top of the ridge.

"Get beside the door. Let them engage the Hive and we'll see if we can sneak around," Beorn ordered.

An Imperial Colossus stomped down the ramp, lugging a machine gun so heavy he couldn't effectively run like the smaller Legionaries that rushed the Hive with him. The Guardians huddled around the door in the shadows until the Cabal engaged the Hive, Cursed Thrall exploding against their shields.

"Doors are closing," Beorn said, darting for the entrance.

"We'll have to find the systems to get them open again for good," Wren said. "I don't want to get trapped in here and if we end up needing reinforcements, I want them to have easy access to the ship."

Beorn chuckled. "Good call. We'll see what we can do. Zavala, we're in. What's next."

"Cabal are known for detonating any ship that crashes. If they've left this one so long, it's likely the base of their operations. They're looking for something on the Dreadnaught. See what they know about Oryx."

"This place is dead," Franz said as they walked through empty halls, floors streaked with blood and littered with bits of broken armor.

"It was like this on Phobos," Wren said. "Other than fires and…" she thought about the Cabal who were fighting to get away from the Taken. Those that didn't make it to ships who were afraid as they tried to escape an enemy they didn't understand. She didn't like to think about their desperation. "There weren't many Cabal left."

"They'll likely be farther in," Beorn said. "If the Commander is right and this is a beachhead, then whatever is left of the Cabal will be defending what they came here for."

A soft male voice came over comms. It was Beorn's Ghost, Ziro. "There's a terminal nearby."

"Wren, go check that out," Beorn said. "We'll cover you."

"Pft, against what?" Franz laughed. "There's nothing here."

"You know how Cabal get when we mess with their stuff."

"Ya know, no one likes it when we mess with their stuff."

"We can be a bit destructive," Wren mused as she hopped onto a platform where a terminal glowed orange. Kiran floated toward it and began to analyze. While he worked, Wren studied the floating hologram of the Dreadnaught which even marked the beachhead with a glowing point and scrolling information in Cabal.

"What have you found?" Zavala asked.

Wren shook her head and read through the information that scrolled across the terminal screen, turning from Cabal to a language she could read. "This says they've found Oryx. I'm sorry, some words don't quite translate. Let's see… okay, Oryx is in the center of the Dreadnaught and… what does this mean Kiran?" She tapped on the screen.

"It says "Rupture" but there's no more information on it."

"Alright, well Commander, this says the only way to get to Oryx is through some kind of rupture. It doesn't clarify on what that means."

"It must be some kind of portal," Zavala said.

"They have a team headed there now," Wren said, reading more of the translated text.

"Then I suggest you beat them to it."

"What about the rest of our team?" Franz asked.

"There's no time to get them there," Zavala said. "I'll send them in to the transmat zone just in case, but I believe it'll be the three of you on this one."

"We'll move forward now," Beorn said.

Wren joined the Warlocks and the three of them headed toward the location Kiran had found in the terminal. Franz hummed a little tune as they made their way through the Cabal ship and Wren thought about her music player. She'd been on the go for so long her den was almost abandoned. She missed it.

Doors opened for them, leading into another area of the Dreadnaught she hadn't explored yet. The ground sloped down away from them to a large area where Cabal were trying to push against Taken that hid behind broken pillars that jutted from the ground like jagged teeth. Wren hesitated only a moment before she raised the Better Devils and fired into the Cabal with Beorn and Franz.

"We found the Cabal team," Kiran said. "They didn't make it far. The amount of Taken is overwhelming."

"Forget about the "enemy of my enemy"," Zavala said. "If something stands between you and that rupture, put it down."

"One step ahead of you Commander," Beorn replied. "Keep to the high ground."

Wren nodded and ran left with Franz, the three of them staying on a ledge that bordered the wall and stayed above the slope. Ahead of them Cabal ran, following their leader who attempted to keep his Legionaries together even though many were dropping like flies between the Guardians and the Taken.

The Cabal leader boosted from the ledge to a circular platform nearby where they tried to hold that point as Taken scrambled up the sides or blinked from the ground to the top where the remaining Cabal struggled to fight them off. Wren drew her scout rifle along with Beorn and the pair of them sank shots into the Cabal leader while Franz held off some of the Taken who had turned attention away from the Cabal to come after them instead.

A loud pop preceded the ground shaking and the smaller Taken turned their heads toward the platform where the Centurion stood. Taken Wizards appeared and killed the few Cabal left standing before forcing their leader back to the steps. He fell to one knee, armor broken, thick blood pouring to the stone as he let out a weakened war cry.

A portal swirled behind him and a beam shot out, connecting with the Centurion, and in a flash, he was gone. Franz stepped back, cursing. He'd not seen the Taken in action like this before. The Wizards disappeared, following the Centurion and their master's call.

"Oryx just recruited a Centurion," Wren said.

"Let him take all he wants," Zavala said. "He won't be around long enough for it to matter."

"We have to move forward," Beorn said. "Everyone had supers up? Good."

Franz leapt across from the ledge to the platform and as soon as dropped to his feet a Taken Acolyte shot him in the back, right between his shoulder blades. He winced and hit his knee, spun around, and shot the Acolyte off its perch.

"Wow that hurts," Franz said, rolling his shoulders before hopping down to join them on their way to the next pedestal. "It's like burning but cold."

"I thought that, too," Wren said.

"Would you rather take that or a Striker to the face?" Beorn smirked.

"Taken bolt," Wren and Franz answered in unison.

Beorn laughed. "Titans are pretty good at turning people into potholes."

"And Warlocks are good at—"

"Finding fantastic fabric for dresses?" Wren piped up.

"That was one time!" Franz complained. "Well, Hunters are only good at getting into trouble."

"I wouldn't say that," Beorn shrugged. "They're very good at sneaking in and getting out information."

"So theft. They're good at theft. Except Wren."

"What? I can be good at it," she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, when we get back, steal something."

"Don't do that," Beorn warned.

"I don't want to steal from some poor city dweller who can't afford to replace it," Wren said as they climbed the stairs to the next platform where there was an unfinished arch with the top piece missing. Behind it was a vast expanse that dropped into nothing. In the distance there was a bright white rift in what looked like a wall.

"Okay, then steal from Cayde," Franz shrugged.

"Right, steal from the Vanguard. Great idea."

"Cuz you couldn't do it."

"I could!"

"Then do it. Steal his dagger. You can give it back. He likes you. You can play it off like… a… a bet! I bet you can't steal his dagger."

"You know Zavala is listening," Beorn said.

Wren and Franz stood straighter, staring each other down.

"Steal his dagger and I'll give you half my Glimmer from this mission," Franz said. "If you can't you owe me half. Deal?"

"Deal."

The instant that word left her mouth she regretted it. Stealing Cayde's dagger? She was surprised Zavala didn't shut it all down. Was he actually listening? Hell, maybe he thought Cayde deserved some kind of trouble.

"Commander?" Beorn called but there was no answer. "Explains why he didn't shut you two idiots down. Commander? Can you read me?"

"I'm here," Zavala said. "We were trying to guide the rest of your team to the transmat zone. They'll be heading your way. What's the status update on your end?"

"I think we found the rupture, but I'm not sure how we're supposed to get to it," Beorn said, his faceplate following the curve of the arch.

Eris Morn's voice came over the comm system and Wren shrank back. "Toland spoke of statues the Hive use to navigate ruptures."

"Statues…" Wren muttered. "I saw some statues earlier, but they weren't anywhere close to here. They looked like deformed bony Thrall or something."

"Spooky," Franz said.

"There's one on that other platform."

"I'll go scan it," Beorn said, taking a running leap to jump and glide across to the neighboring platform. Ziro floated out to scan the structure, lights covering the statue.

"It's linked to the rupture," Ziro said, his voice faint over comms. "We need to find more to scan. I'm not sure how the Hive use these."

"See if you can find others," Beorn said, motioning randomly toward the open area.

By the time the second statue was found and scanned, the rest of their team caught up with them. Wren smiled at the sight of Sisre. She hadn't seen or heard from her since the incident with Cayde sparring. The women greeted each other by bumping elbows, then the group continued on to find the third statue.

"I've got it," Flak said.

"It's dead," Marr said. "But something's happening to the rupture."

Wren turned to the unfinished arch they had been under previously. A Taken anomaly filled the space in the center, swirling stars that poured forth Thrall.

"The Thrall will smother the Light!" Eris warned. "Don't underestimate them."

Cerulean met up at the bottom of the stairs and together they pushed toward the top but the Thrall didn't stop coming. They fired into the groups of them as they charged out but to no avail.

"Forget about the Thrall," Zavala said, his voice verging on annoyed. Impatient. "Get through that rupture."

Rorick signaled his team to stay back, then he leapt over the Thrall and into the rupture but it pushed him away before he could touch it. Again and again he ran into the rupture, pushing against an invisible wall, boots sliding on the stone with the effort. Soon he gave up.

"There's no getting in that way," Rorick said.

"What's the problem?"

"There's a force keeping us away."

"Then it's true…" Eris said. "Only the Ascendant can access ruptures."

"There's something Ascendant coming through!" Kiran said and the fireteam fell back, except for Flak who remained up close.

"If you get killed, I'm not going up for you," Rorick said and Flak hissed and cursed under his breath before retreating with them an instant before an Echo of Oryx tore through the rupture.

The Echo went for Wren immediately, swooping low over her, clawing at her helmet. She dropped and fired on it as it passed in a flurry of tattered cloth. Cerulean concentrated fire on it until it swirled in a vortex of Taken energy and disappeared, reappearing farther away from them.

Sisre pulled Wren to her feet. "That thing has it out for you."

"Yeah," Wren said. "Cayde told me Oryx is here to kill me for killing Crota."

"And he willingly sent you in here?"

"It's complicated. Let's get that Echo down."

Taken Thrall surrounded them and the group split. Wren felt someone running behind her but it wasn't until she was knocked forward to her knees that she realized it was Flak. She rolled over and he stomped down on her cloak, pinning her. Angry, she raised the Better Devils to shoot him.

"We should let Oryx have you," he said. "I bet he'd leave Earth alone then."

"I'll shoot you," Wren warned.

Flak came in close, his expression blocked by his faceplate. "You know, if I tossed you to that thing, it'd take you and we could go home. Take care of all my problems in one fell swoop."

Wren smacked his helmet with the butt of her gun, and he kicked the side of her helmet as he stood. "Little bitch. You'll get yours."

And with that he was gone, running to join the others as they finished off the Echo of Oryx.

"What is his problem?" Wren snapped.

"I don't know but this is too much," Kiran replied.

"Yeah. I agree. I'm going to… I'm going to have to tell Cayde."

"Finally."

"Just don't rush me. I need to figure out what to say first."

Wren trotted over to join Cerulean just as the death scream of the Echo filled the air. Taken energy imploded and the area was left dead silent.

"The rupture closed," Sisre said. "Now what?"

"Only Ascendant Hive may pass," Eris said.

"Then how do we become Ascendant?"

"We'll work that out," Zavala said. "Return to the Tower."

"All this way for that?" Flak shook his head.

"We anticipated being able to get through," Zavala said. "If you have in issue, we can discuss it when you return."

Flak shifted uncomfortably. "No Commander. No issue."

Franz snickered but Rorick shut him down with a glance. Finally they had a chance to return to the Tower. A hot meal, a bath, and some time in her den were just what she needed and although she was tired, she agreed to meet them all later for dinner. Even Flak was invited by Rorick, though he declined. Wren was glad for that.

Now she had to figure out how to explain what had been happening to Cayde and why she hid it from him for so long.

"Don't forget our bet," Franz laughed as he passed.

Wren sighed. Yeah. And that.

Cayde roamed the City alone in the predusk hours, Sundance floating over his shoulder. They passed shops and stalls, wasting time. People in the streets greeted them and children tried to entice Cayde into their games. He tossed a ball back to some girls in passing and had a little race with a group of boys whose mothers would scold them later for fresh holes in their pants.

Overall the City made him happy. He looked up to the underside of the Traveler, then to the fading light on the horizon and wished he was out there. Yeah, the City made him happy but even when he laughed with them, there was a pull. A draw to the wilds that ever Hunter felt. How long had it been since he'd been able to sneak out?

He thought back and frowned. The last time was when Wren had her arm ripped off. He might miss the wilds, but he didn't miss that. It was worse when he considered what she'd gone through since then. Being drown, Phobos, the Dreadnaught… and as soon as they figured out how to make her Ascendant, she'd be tossed back in on the hunt for Oryx.

"Shut up," Sundance groaned.

"I didn't say anything!"

"You're thinking too loud."

"Yeah, yeah."

"You never replied to that dinner invite earlier," she said with a sidelong glance.

"That's because I don't know if I wanna go."

"Why are you being like this about Wren? You know you like her, just make a move already. You're killing me."

"You act like it's so easy," he scoffed, then turned down a long, narrow alley. "All the shit she's gotten because she's close to me and you think I should just act on… on what? On what I haven't decided if I want yet? I get shit for it too, ya know."

"Whatever," Sundance sighed. She was defeated for now, but it wouldn't last. She disappeared in a flash, too annoyed with him to stick around.

Without her there he slipped back into his thoughts, running himself in circles to the point he was so distracted he didn't hear someone running up behind him. They pushed past him, black cloak flying as they knocked him to the side a bit and kept running down the alley.

"Hey! Where's the fire?" he yelled, then saw the faint glint of a blade in a gloved hand. "That's my dagger!"

He took off after the thief who slung trash cans down behind them as they ran, forcing Cayde through an obstacle course of low hanging wires, laundry lines, and piles of trash bags. They gained a good lead, cutting sharp turns into random alleys but Cayde knew the route and he knew the thief was about to be stuck.

"When I get you, I'm gonna make you wish you were never born!" he threatened.

The thief started to scramble over the wall at the back of the alley when Cayde caught up and grabbed their cloak, yanking them back down. He grabbed the thief's wrist and spun them around, pinning them to the wall with his left hand while his right drew the Ace of Spades to their chin. His dagger clattered to the ground with the force of pinning them.

The hood concealing their face fell back, revealing Wren's flushed cheeks, wide blue eyes, and shock of black hair. She stared at him with the same defiant gaze she had in the Crucible. He caught himself glancing down at her tight, halter one piece that rose high on her hips like swimsuits the women of the City wore in the swimming holes. Baggy pants rested lower on her hips and slits from the top band down to below her knees exposed the supple skin of her thigh.

She didn't speak, only stared him down and tried to catch her breath. He leaned closer but she didn't shy away. The barrel of the Ace slid slowly down her throat, over her collar bones, and the curve of her breast, but she never broke eye contact. Her pupils dilated and his body prickled, heat from Solar energy rising between them.

He moved the gun down her rib cage to her hip, then down the side of her thigh almost to her knee before sliding the barrel under the fabric of her pants and moving back up her inner thigh. She shivered at the cool metal against her skin. He was ready for her to tell him to stop. Waiting for it. To tell him off or use her free hand to stop but she didn't. She stared up at him with an expression somewhere between longing and a dare so he moved the Ace up her inner thigh until he couldn't anymore, and her lips parted in a sharp inhale.

Cayde stepped closer, bracing his elbow on the wall and she laced her fingers between his on the hand he had pinned and gripped tightly. This close he could smell sweet citrus, like fresh oranges in summer. She tilted her head back expectantly. He might be out of practice, but he could swear she wanted him to kiss her. The Ace pressed against her and her thighs tensed. Cayde leaned in closer, feeling the heat of her breath. He was so close and he wanted her. Wanted to see how far this could go. Wanted to—

"Cayde?"

He whipped around to see a Hunter farther down the alley. Before he could move, Wren was out of his grip and over the wall, disappearing before she could get caught with him. He watched as the end of her cloak vanished into the darkness.

"Cayde is that you?" the Hunter called again.

Cayde snatched the dagger off the ground and sheathed it, then adjusted the awkward bulge in his pants, cursing under his breath before walking toward the Hunter.

"This better be good," he grumbled.

The Hunter looked confused, staring past Cayde a moment into the darkness, then up to his face. "Yeah, Zavala and Ikora were looking for you. Said Sundance kept shutting them down so they sent me to find you."

"Fine. I'll head back to the Tower," he said.

"Is something wrong?"

"What? No? Why?"

"I… the Ace," he pointed at the hand cannon still clutched in Cayde's fist.

"Nah, just… checking the sights." He put the gun away. "Run along now. I can get back myself."

As soon as the Hunter was gone, Sundance appeared right in front of Cayde's face.

"Uh, you wanna talk about what just happened!?"

"Do you wanna talk about blocking messages from the Tower?"

"Cayde, you need to make a move! I swear this is the worst!"

He threw his hands up and walked away. What did she know?!