Chapter Two

"Your mate is worried about you."

Tony hmmed softly but ignored his elder brother, choosing to focus on the gauntlet lying in front of him. It was the glove for the Mark XVII and it was in dire need of repair after being damaged in a fight against the Doombots only a week previous. He knew it was a petty move, however he couldn't help it. Since his return all anyone wanted him to do was talk. Talk to a therapist. Talk to a doctor. To his teammates. To his brothers.

To his mate.

His hand stilled for a moment, lips twisting into a slight grimace when Jeice pulled his gauntlet away from him.

"I really hate being ignored, Little One."

"And I hate when people touch my things." The younger prince responded, eyes flashing violently.

Jeice smirked. "Too bad. Older Brother rights."

A snarl spilled past the others lips unbidden, his canines sharpening briefly.

"Go away!"

The elder dampyre's smirk fell and he scowled.

"No! Stop being a brat! Talk to your mate before you lose him!"

Kael froze, wide-eyed tears welling in his eyes. Lose him? Lose Bucky?

Again?

No. NO!

His chest tightened and he remembered avidly the feeling of his heart being ripped from his chest when he had received that KIA letter so long ago. He couldn't feel that again.

His hazel eyes darkened, a plan brewing in his mind.

He wouldn't feel that again.

His gaze moved to his brother's dark glare.

He refused to lose anyone ever again.


Kael was planning something, Jeice could tell the moment those liqueur colored eyes darkened and slid his way.

Something was happening inside his brother's head and despite his assurances to his elder brother that they would be able to get through to him, he was starting to doubt it himself. Something had broken inside the youngest prince and he didn't know if they would ever be able to fix it.

"Kael?"

The assassin glanced up at him, then smiled softly.

"I won't lose him, Jay"- His smile darkened, tinged with madness-" I won't lose any of you."

"Brother what-" He felt a tiny prick at the base of his neck and he gasped staring at the manic gleam in his brother's eyes as darkness crept into his vision.

"Sh," His baby brother crooned softly, running a slender hand through his hair. "It'll be alright."

"Everything will be just fine."


Silas frowned worriedly as he stared at the elevator doors of the common room, willing one of his brothers to walk out. Neither of the younger dampyres had been seen all day, and while this was normal for Kael, Jeice was not one for solitude. Their middle brother had a penchant for being the center of attention, and was a socialite of the highest caliber. With all the Avengers sitting in the common room, and Kael sequestered in his lab, he had no idea where his other brother was.

The ding of the elevator drew him from his thoughts and he released a sigh of relief as Kael exited, only to stiffen as he took a closer look at his youngest sibling.

Something had changed.

Darkness and mania danced on the outskirts of the genius' aura, carefully masked in regards to the humans who wouldn't be able to feel it regardless. To the common gaze, he looked the same as he had for months, his eyes held no hint of the mania his aura did nor did the smile on his lips. It was only because Silas was well versed in how Kael was supposed to be that even noticed, so slight was the taint.

Then he remembered something important.

Jeice had gone to speak with Kael hours ago…just before he'd vanished.

His heart stilled in his chest.

"What did you do?" He whispered softly and Tony smiled innocently, eerily reminiscent to how he had as a fledgling.

"Fury called. Sent Jeice on a solo mission early this afternoon. Unknown duration."

He was lying, yet the king could tell that the humans had bought it. Everyone but Kael's husband, who's eyes narrowed slightly. He sent the soldier a look then turned back to his brother who was still before him with that child's smile on his lips.

"I see." He responded, but inside his heart screamed in denial.

After all, even in his insanity Kael wouldn't hurt their brother…would he?


He was floating.

"Sh, all is well brother. No one will ever hurt you agaain. I promise."

Kael?

Why, why couldn't he feel anything? Why couldn't he move?

What had his baby brother done to him?

"Please, just let me go. You won't lose me, I swear." He tried to call to his brother but he went unheard. Instead, a slim hand, gentle in its ministrations started to stroke his hair coaxing him back into oblivion.


"He was lying."

Bucky nodded at King Silas' statement, watching as the Dampyre paced in front of the window.

They were in the elder man's room, having met there when the others had gone to bed for the night to discuss their unstable family member. There was no doubt in their minds that the young prince had done something to his elder brother and yet…they couldn't figure out what.

They wanted to believe that he would never hurt Jeice, but with the state of mind that the billionaire had been in lately, they knew he was capable of anything.

"What are we going to do?" The super soldier asked hesitantly, worried for his lover, as well as for his brother.

The king bowed his head, hiding his face and yet Bucky could see the tears that escaped his eyes to trail down his cheeks.

"Kael is my baby brother. I have raised him from the time of our parents' death to the day of my own. I will wait to see what he has done to our brother, then…I will decide."

Fear lanced through the super soldier but he held it in and nodded.

He would save them. Both of them.

TBC…

A/N:I'm a bit unsure of this chapter and the direction of it and as such I am in the process of writing another version of it. When I finish I will pick the chapter I like the most and use it to replace this one.