Summary: Sequel to The Last Salenyme. Tony's finally back home, but with his growing insanity and worsening nightmares it's far from a happily ever after. Can Bucky, The older Salenyme brothers, and the Avengers put the genius back together? Or will the darkness in his mind swallow him whole?


Chapter One

Bucky awakened to the feel of the body in his arms trembling violently and had to fight a sigh.

In the two weeks since Tony's rescue the genius had yet to sleep a night all the way through without suffering from at least one nightmare. This of course led to him spending more time in his lab or being more obnoxious than usual as a way to compensate for it. The assassin jerked awake with a choked gasp, hazel eyes wide in fear. Cold sweat slicked his smooth skin and the arc reactor shined brightly in the dark of their bedroom, illuminating the terror on his face.

He sat up and pulled him into his arms, stroking his long dark hair soothingly.

"Sh, calm down, darlin. You're safe. You're home." A whimper left his husband who curled closer to him, giving him a view of the black ink marring his pale skin.

Project III stood out in bold gothic print on the vixen's upper shoulder and it still made his stomach turn every time he saw it. Someone had branded his assassin and tortured him. Someone had tried to break the beautiful creature and... he wasn't entirely sure they failed.

Make no mistake, his lover was still as fierce as ever and during the day he seemed to go about as if nothing was wrong, his mask of 'Billionaire, genius, Playboy(not so much), Philanthropist' still strong in his every action, but when they were alone and the mask fell away, something in him just changed and he seemed more fragile. More raw.

It broke his heart.

After a moment, Tony's trembles calmed and he stilled, looking up at him with a grateful smile.

"Thank you." He murmured and Bucky smiled back kindly.

"Never a problem." His blue eyes softened. "Talk to me, Tone."

For a moment, it seemed as if the assassin were gonna speak, his lips parting then closing. Then he merely shook his head and pulled away, frustration and annoyance lining his wet features.

"I'll be in my lab." He replied, leaving the room swiftly. The Winter Soldier watched him leave, blue eyes full of concern and pain.

"Yeah," He muttered softly. "Seems to be the only place you ever are anymore."


"Talk to me, Tone."

"Talk to me."

"Talk to me."

Why couldn't he just talk to him?

It seemed as if every time he went to his husband to talk about what had happened, to talk about what was happening to him he ended up choking and the words ended up lost in his throat.

How could he explain it to him? To tell him that every time he saw that brand stark against his pale skin he felt sick? Tell him how every time he closed his eyes he expected to find himself back in that cold, dark cell with only the voices in his head and a terrified guard as company. How could he explain the fear he felt every time Bucky left his sight, the fear that it was all a dream and he would wake up alone?

How could he explain the madness and darkness slowly overtaking him?

A soft sob left Tony's lips and he brought his hands up to shield his face, long dark hair falling around him like a veil between him and the rest of the world.

Bucky's pained blue eyes flashed behind his eyelids and he let out a choked whimper, rocking back and forth to try to sooth the pain lacing his heart.

"I'm sorry."

The assassin curled in on himself and continued to cry, pleading silently for forgiveness he didn't think he deserved, his bots, his children gathering around their broken creator like sentinels.

No harm would come to him.

They wouldn't fail this time.


The new century was...strange.

As HYDRA weapons they hadn't really paid much attention to the technical changes unless it pertained to their missions. Now, free from Hydra's hold the eldest of the Salenyme brothers found themselves astounded by how far the humans had progressed and by how much of it was accredited to their brother.

The little hatchling that had followed them around as a child had grown and flourished into an extremely successful and powerful man, all on his own.

Their little Kael was no longer a baby.

He had his own life, his own history...his own secrets.

Silas's eyes narrowed slightly.

Their little brother carried alot of secrets they were sure of it.

When he'd explained the events that they had missed they's noticed that there were lots of holes in his story, including how he got that blue nightlight in his chest. When asked about it, his eyes had darkened and flashed with the bloodlust of the sanguis ira and he'd lied, telling them it was merely a power source for his suit. They'd noticed how his team mates had shot him sympathetic looks especially the female assassin, but none of them had called his bluff. Instead, the humans had gone along with it, all of them refusing to tell the elder Salenymes anything that disputed whatever Kael told them. As heartwarming as their loyalty to the young prince was, all it did was serve to piss both of his older brothers off.

Another thing he'd noticed was the growing distance between Kael and his husband. The younger man had taken to hiding away in his lab, only appearing among the masses when he needed to. When he did, his persona was in full effect, only small bits of his true nature slipping through.

"You're thinking too hard. Kael will be fine, brother."

The former King turned to his brother with a worried frown.

"How do you know?"

Jeice sighed softly and ran a hand through his long sable hair.

"I've Seen it. There are many hardships ahead for our dear baby brother, but he will persevere and he will prosper because of them." He smirked.

"Besides, we're here now. We just gotta let him know he no longer has to shoulder everything on his own anymore."

"And if he refuses to confide in us?"

"Then we keep bugging him until he does. After all what are big brothers for?"

TBC...

And, there you have it. The first chapter of The Last Salenyme's long awaited sequel.