Taken but not Forgotten

Missing

The Hunters were i an uproar. Tevis had been missing for five weeks now. No contact, no note, no trace. They weren't in an uproar because Tevis was missing, but because every Hunter in the Tower was being sent on a wild goose chase to find him.

'We're hunters, not finders' they would argue and other things similar to that.

"What does it mean to be a hunter?" Cayde asked the crowd, Agony, Roach, and Shiro by his side. The crowd became silent, waiting for the answer. "I say it's all about where you belong. The warlocks have their libraries, Titans have their walls, but Hunter... Hunters belong in the wild. Out there." Cayde said pointing past the City, "you wanna live? You better have a quick shot." Cayde signaled to Roach and Shiro on his right, "or a sharp blade." Cayde pointed to Agony on his left. "A lot of us are loners, but some of us... some of us know that's not the only path. Some of us know a difference a fire-team makes." Cayde concluded, giving Agony a quick glance that the crowd missed. "Tevis is our most experience Nightstalker, we can't afford to lose him."

"Not only that, but Tevis has mentored many of you. We all owe it to him. He is one of us, and if he's lost or stranded, it is up to us to carry him home." Agony added, staring down at the crowd. The Hunters began to mumble amongst themselves then broke up, going back on their search and rescue mission. Agony and Roach left as well.

They headed to Venus.

"Cayde, what exactly is  Nightstalker?" Roach asked

"They know the importance of a fire-team, they touch the void, make it a part of them. Hunt from the shadows, pin them down, never let them see you coming." Cayde answered

"So why do we have so few of them? Sounds easy enough." Roach commented

"Tevis told me he's had dozens of hunters ask him why it's so hard to summon a Dusk Bow. He asks them what they though of the Void, and that their eyes told him everything. The secret is no fear. You can't be afraid." Agony answered as they landed on Venus and made their way towards the Endless steps. Vex corpses littered the floor, someone came through here.

"Why go there?" Cayde inquired

"No one else has searched here. People avoid this area because the Vex like to swarm here, they still protect this broken Gate." Agony said as they began to walk up the steps.

"If anyone can hear me, I don't think I'm on Venus anymore, this looks a lot like the Black Garden."

"Tevis!" Roach, Agony, and Cayde exclaimed

"Wow, all three of you. What are the odds." Tevis mused

"Tevis what happened?" Agony asked as she and Roach ran up the steps

"I stepped through the portal, my ghost is on the other side. I'm in deep shit guys."

"Find that ghost!" Cayde ordered. Once Agony and Roach made it to the top, they began to look around, when they heard that familiar static. The Vex were coming. This time they didn't come in waves, they came in hoards. As Agony and Roach went to a different communications channel, Cayde and Tevis spoke.

"Cayde, if I don't make it out of here alive. I want you to know I'm sorry about the argument we had. I shouldn't have pushed it." Tevis apologized.

"Tevis it's fine, I shouldn't have acted like a child. Don't worry, with Agony on the job you know you'll make it out alive. Besides, if you die, she'll kill you." Cayde joked, Tevis laughed

"Cayde, do you think she loved me?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Cayde, please." Tevis whispered, he sounded scared and it felt like someone had stabbed Cayde in the heart.

"Yeah, i'm sure she loves you."

"Take care of her, yeah?"

"That's your job Tevis, I can't take that away from you."

"Tell her-" The line was suddenly flooded by static. Agony and Roach rejoined and the static disappeared.

"The origin of the transmission was a dead ghost. We're heading to the Valley of Kings on Mars to use that portal." Agony informed Cayde before she and Roach were back on their ships.

"Can any of you get Tevis?" Agony asked

"No." The two Exo's replied

"We need to find Tevis alive... or the other thing. He's a cheat, and a liar, and smells like a barrel of thrall spit, but he's OUR cheat and liar. The Vex can't have him!" Cayde yelled, he felt a whole in his chest.

Agony and Roach landed at the Valley of Kings and ran straight through the gate ending up in the Pantheon. Vex corpses were on the ground, they were close.

"Isn't this a Crucible map?" Agony asked as they ran to the other side

"Yeah, Lord Shaxx closed it down, something about too many... Vex." Roach said as he and Agony walked over to a body on the floor. Agony left the communication channel and ran over to Tevis.

"Tevis.  Tevis talk to me!" Agony demanded "Tevis... please." Agony whispered hugging Tevis

"Roach? Roach what's your status!" Cayde ordered, but Roach couldn't speak. Agony looked at Tevis, in one hand there was a note, in another, a small void ball. Agony picked up the note and put it away, then she grabbed the void. It became a bow in her hand. Agony rejoined the channel and told Cayde,

"Tevis is dead... I have his bow, and i'm going to make them pay." Agony shot an arrow into the sky, it went off like fireworks. The Vex began spawning, and Roach had never seen Agony move this way. There grace, but no the elegant type of grace she used when using her blade. It was grace fueled by hatred, she fired arrow after arrow, tearing the Vex to shreds. The Traveler was granting her this power, as if the Traveler was also saddened by the death of Tevis. Agony and Roach returned to the Tower. Cayde called all the Hunters home as well. They held a funeral for Tevis. There was no corpse, Agony couldn't bring herself to move him. Neithet could Roach. That night Agony couldn't go to bed. That was Tevis' bed, his room. It didn't feel right.

Cayde wasn't surprised to see Agony outside his door when he opened it. He let her in and they sat on the bed.
"I was there when Tevis first picked up that bow. He knew you could pick it up as well... I'm glad you have his bow Agony... He would be happy too." Cayde said placing his hand on her shoulder. Agony leaned against Cayde and began to sob. Cayde held her close, fighting back his own tears. Whoever gave Exo's the ability to cry was an asshole. That night, the Tower was purple. And for a bit, it felt as though Tevis was still with them.