Chapter 28: Shadows of the Rose
The trio moved through the quiet, labyrinthine corridors of the Last City, their destination looming ahead: Ruby's quarters. The air buzzed with subdued energy, every Guardian seemingly focused on their duties. The silence among them was broken by Yang.
"Alright, Taurus," Yang began, her voice carrying a teasing edge as her fiery gaze locked onto Adam. "Why is it that you're just Adam to everyone? Not Lord Taurus or some grandiose title like 'Champion of the Ages' or something? You're as recognized as Ruby and Oscar—so why not go all in on the titles?"
Adam glanced at her, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. His crimson gaze, subdued but intense, lingered for a moment before he answered.
"Titles are for leaders, Xiao Long," he said simply, his tone even. "I was never a leader. For a long time, I was an extension of Ruby's influence. Her loyal second. Whatever recognition I have, it's because of her. Not because of me."
Blake's ears twitched, and she cast Adam a sidelong glance. "You make it sound like that's all you were. But it's obvious Ruby trusted you for more than just following orders. She wouldn't have kept you by her side otherwise."
Adam's steps slowed for a moment, his hand brushing against the hilt of his blade. "Maybe. Or maybe I was just convenient. A tool she could rely on when no one else was around."
Yang scoffed, crossing her arms as she walked. "Convenient? Come on, Adam. I've heard enough about Ruby to know she didn't keep people around just for convenience. You're selling yourself short."
"It's not about selling myself short," Adam replied, his voice tinged with an edge of bitterness. "It's about accepting what I was. What I am. Ruby saw potential in people, even when they couldn't see it in themselves. But that doesn't change the fact that I've always been the sword in someone else's hand."
Blake's steps faltered as she absorbed his words. She exchanged a glance with Yang, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing. It was rare to hear Adam speak so openly, even if his words carried the weight of self-recrimination.
"And now?" Blake ventured. "Do you still see yourself that way? As someone else's sword?"
Adam's jaw tightened, and for a moment, he didn't respond. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, almost introspective. "I don't know. For the first time in a long time, I'm not answering to anyone. No Warlord. No Vanguard, for a while not even Ruby. It's been... new and confusing."
Yang let out a small chuckle, the tension easing slightly. "Welcome to the club. Figuring out who you are without someone pulling the strings? It's not easy, but it's worth it."
"Ruby never pulled strings," Adam corrected, a hint of defensiveness in his tone. "She gave me a choice. I chose to follow her, to be her second. Later, I chose to explore on my own, but..." He paused, considering his words carefully. "Sometimes I miss her guidance. If she needed me again, I'd return as her loyal second not because I have to, but because that's where I know I can make the biggest difference."
They rounded the final corner of the Tower's winding corridors, approaching the section reserved for veteran Guardians. Ruby's quarters were at the end of the hall, the door decorated with a small, worn emblem of a rose.
Before any of them could knock, there was a loud crash from inside, followed by what sounded like scrambling and muffled cursing.
Yang immediately tensed, her fists blazing with Solar Light as she kicked the door open. "Ruby!"
The scene that greeted them was... not quite what any of them expected. Ruby stood in the middle of the room wearing what appeared to be Oscar's robe inside out, her hair a wild mess. Oscar was tangled in sheets on the floor, apparently having fallen off the bed in surprise. Various pieces of armor and clothing created a trail across the floor, telling quite a clear story of the previous night's activities.
"Yang!" Ruby squeaked, her face turning as red as her namesake. "Don't you knock?!"
"We heard a crash!" Yang protested, her own face rapidly approaching the color of her sister's namesake. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out. The mighty Titan who had faced down Hive Knights without flinching was completely short-circuiting at what she'd just witnessed.
"My sister... and Oscar... they were... they..." she sputtered incoherently.
Adam closed the door with a practiced casualness, barely concealing an eye-roll. "And this is why Titans should think before punching through doors. Some things never change, Guardian or not."
Through the wall, they could hear more scrambling and Ruby's voice: "Oscar, that's MY boot you're trying to put on..."
Blake's ears twitched with amusement as she gently patted Yang's shoulder. "Maybe we should wait in the courtyard?"
"But... but..." Yang continued to malfunction, her brain still trying to process what she'd seen. "Ruby... my baby sister..."
"Is several centuries old and has been married to Oscar for a few of them," Adam pointed out dryly. "This isn't exactly new."
Yang made a sound like a dying Cabal war beast and buried her face in her hands. Some things, it seemed, even immortal warriors weren't prepared to face.
The morning sun cast long shadows across the Tower's courtyard as the group waited near the elevator. Yang sat on a low wall, still occasionally making strangled noises and covering her face with her hands. Blake stood nearby, trying and failing to hide her amusement at her partner's ongoing crisis.
"The Vanguard will want a full debrief," Pyrrha was saying to Adam, her tone serious despite the earlier comedy. "That corrupted Knight alone would warrant their attention, but with Oscar's return and what he discovered about the Ascendant Plane..."
Adam nodded, his arms crossed as he leaned against a pillar. "It's going to be complicated. The Vanguard's never been fond of Guardians experimenting with Hive magic, even for research. When they learn what Oscar was trying to do..."
"Ikora will understand," Pyrrha countered. "She's a scholar first. And with Ruby there to explain..."
"Assuming she and Oscar can keep their hands off each other long enough to make it to the meeting," Yang groaned from her position, prompting another round of stifled laughter from Blake.
"The real question," Adam continued, ignoring Yang's commentary, "is how much we tell them about Savathûn's involvement. If the Witch Queen is truly interested in Oscar's research..."
"Then this goes beyond just finding Jaune," Pyrrha finished. "It becomes a matter of City security."
"Which means they might try to stop us from going to the Dreadnaught," Adam said grimly. "Or worse, insist on sending a full strike team."
"My sister... and Oscar..." Yang muttered to herself, still processing. "How am I supposed to look either of them in the eye again?"
"You'll manage," Blake assured her, patting her shoulder sympathetically. "Eventually."
Pyrrha's Ghost materialized beside her, its shell expanding slightly. "Commander Zavala is already asking questions. Word of Oscar's return is spreading through the Tower like Hive spores."
"Thirty minutes," Adam said, checking his wrist display. "That should give Ruby and Oscar enough time to... compose themselves." His lips twitched slightly at Yang's renewed groan of distress.
Ruby and Oscar emerged from the Tower halls, both now properly dressed and composed. Ruby wore her customary combat robes in deep crimson and black, while Oscar had donned formal Warlock attire befitting his status. The silver tree pendant at Ruby's throat caught the morning light, matching the gleam of the iron rose at Oscar's belt.
"Yang!" Ruby called out cheerfully, then paused as her sister made a strangled noise and turned bright red. "Are you... okay?"
"Fine!" Yang squeaked, her voice an octave higher than normal. "Totally fine! Just... looking at the ceiling! Very interesting ceiling!"
Blake coughed to hide her laughter while Adam didn't even try to conceal his smirk. Pyrrha maintained her composure, though her eyes sparkled with barely contained amusement.
"The Vanguard's waiting," Oscar said, tactfully changing the subject. His voice carried a hint of strain - the walk from Ruby's quarters had clearly taxed his still-recovering strength.
Ruby's hand found his, supporting him subtly as they moved toward the elevator. The others fell in behind them, their formation unconsciously mirroring centuries of battlefield experience. Adam and Pyrrha flanked the pair, while Blake and Yang brought up the rear.
The elevator ride was quiet, filled with unspoken tension. They all knew what was at stake - the corrupted Knight, Oscar's research, the looming threat of Savathûn, and somewhere in all of it, the hope of finding Jaune.
The doors opened onto the command level, where Zavala's office overlooked the City. Ruby squeezed Oscar's hand once before letting go, straightening her shoulders as they approached the office entrance.
Inside, the full Vanguard waited for them. Commander Zavala stood at his usual spot behind his desk, his imposing figure backlit by the massive windows. Ikora Rey occupied a position to his right, her Warlock's robes pristine as always. And to his left, looking distinctly uncomfortable with the formality of it all, stood Cayde-6, his hood pulled low.
"Lady Rose," Zavala's deep voice carried through the room. "Lord Pine." His eyes moved to the others. "Welcome back to the Tower. We have much to discuss."
The office fell into tense silence as Ruby stepped forward, her silver eyes meeting Zavala's steady gaze. Oscar stood at her side, his posture straight despite his obvious fatigue. Adam and Pyrrha remained a step behind them, while Blake and Yang waited near the door.
"Commander," Ruby began, her voice carrying the weight of centuries. "I know you have questions."
"Questions?" Cayde interjected with a short laugh. "That's putting it mildly. You vanish for decades, then show up with Oscar Pine himself, reports of corrupted Knights, and what I hear is a plan to raid the Dreadnaught?" He crossed his arms. "I'd say we have more than questions."
"The Knight first," Ikora said firmly, her sharp eyes focused on Pyrrha. "You encountered it directly. Tell us everything."
Pyrrha stepped forward, her voice clear and professional. "It was unlike any Hive we've encountered before. It could suppress Light itself - not just block it, but actively drain it. And its armor..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "It looked like corrupted Light had been crystallized and forged into plates."
"Impossible," Zavala stated, but Ikora held up a hand.
"Not impossible," she corrected. "The Hive have been studying Light since their first encounters with Guardians. But this level of manipulation..." She turned to Oscar. "This has something to do with your research, doesn't it?"
Oscar nodded slowly. "The Knight was a prototype. A test of Savathûn's understanding of the boundaries between Light and Dark, between realities themselves." He gestured to the tome secured at his belt. "What I discovered - what Jaune and I were researching - it was about more than just traveling between worlds. It was about understanding the fundamental nature of Light, Dark, and the spaces between."
"And now Savathûn wants that knowledge," Adam added, his voice grim.
"Which brings us to the Dreadnaught," Zavala said, his tone making it clear he didn't approve. "You're planning an unsanctioned operation into one of the most dangerous locations in the solar system."
"Yes," Ruby replied simply. No excuses, no justification - just honest acknowledgment.
"You can't seriously be considering this," Zavala started, but Cayde cut him off.
"Oh come on, big blue. It's Ruby Rose and Oscar Pine. They're going whether we approve or not. Might as well help them do it right."
"The Dreadnaught exists in both our reality and the Ascendant Plane simultaneously," Oscar explained. "Its unique properties make it the perfect launch point for what we need to do. And..." He hesitated, glancing at Ruby. "We believe that's where Jaune is trapped."
The name hung in the air like a physical weight. Ikora's expression softened slightly while Cayde's posture straightened - even Zavala's stern demeanor cracked.
"Jaune Arc," Ikora said softly. "After all this time?"
Ruby's hand found Oscar's, their fingers intertwining. "We found Oscar. We can find Jaune too. But we need your help."
Zavala was quiet for a long moment, studying the group before him. His gaze lingered on each face - Ruby's determination, Oscar's quiet certainty, Adam's barely contained tension, Pyrrha's professional calm.
"Absolutely not," Zavala said firmly, his hands clasping behind his back. "The Dreadnaught has been quarantined for good reason. We cannot risk drawing attention to it, especially with Savathûn's forces already moving."
"Commander," Adam stepped forward, his voice carrying the measured tone of a tactical assessment. "With respect, we need to consider the power vacuum Oryx's death created. The Dreadnaught isn't just a dead ship - it's a seat of power. One that's been left unclaimed."
Zavala's eyes narrowed slightly. "Explain."
"We know Savathûn's forces are growing bolder," Adam continued. "That corrupted Knight wasn't just a prototype - it was a statement. She's testing boundaries, pushing to see what she can get away with. The Dreadnaught would make a perfect foothold in our system."
"A staging ground," Ikora added thoughtfully. "From which she could launch further incursions."
"Exactly," Adam nodded. "We need to assess the situation. See if she's already trying to claim her brother's throne. The fact that we have another mission there is... convenient coverage."
Ruby caught Adam's strategy and built on it. "A small team could gather intelligence while we search for Jaune. Two objectives, one operation."
Zavala was quiet for a moment, considering. Finally, he looked up at Ruby. "And you would provide a full report on any Hive activity you encounter?"
"Of course," Ruby agreed immediately. Oscar squeezed her hand gently.
"However," Zavala continued, "as you are all... technically... on extended leave following your return..." A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "What you choose to do with that time is not under Vanguard jurisdiction."
Cayde's mechanical features arranged themselves into a grin. "I might know some folks who could get you supplies. Off the books, of course."
"And I can provide access to my personal archives," Ikora added. "Any research that might help understand what you're facing."
Ruby's silver eyes brightened. "Thank you."
"Don't thank us yet," Zavala warned. "This is still incredibly dangerous. If Savathûn is truly involved..."
"Then we need to move fast," Oscar finished. "Before she finds what she's looking for."
The Vanguard exchanged glances, centuries of shared leadership flowing between them in that silent moment.
"Very well," Zavala said finally. "Make your preparations. But Ruby?" He fixed her with a stern look. "Try not to destroy the Dreadnaught completely this time."
A small smile curved Ruby's lips. "No promises, Commander. No promises at all."