HOMECOMING - open; death

[buckingham barnes]

It's been a few days since he and Monroe traveled back from the Ascendants. In those few days, the maine coon decided to spend most of his time alone. He wanted to calm his nerves down, relapsing into that weapon doesn't leave him in a stable condition. He often feels as if he's a time bomb with the asset, and the last thing he wanted was to put his clanmates lives in danger. So, it took him a few days to finally feel comfortable enough to leave his boathouse. He wasn't about to jump back into socializing with clanmates and pretend like the asset relapse never happened, nope. He didn't explain to Monroe what that mess was, and decided that this would be the best time. Even though it was the middle of the night- it wasn't unusual for the former assassin to be awake at this time. Monroe on the other hand, he has no idea- he'll figure that out soon.

Bucky silently made his way through the sleeping town, the moonlight gleaming in his metal prosthetic. Each step the male made was with absolute silence, each paw barely putting any weight into their step. Even his metal leg, which was significantly heavier than the others, did not give away Buckingham's presence. Ears pinning back, the maine coon quickly thought of the explanation he was going to give- he's going to tell Monroe about the Asset. Or the Winter Soldier, it went by those two names. Which means unveiling his past that he wanted to keep secret. But, clearly that can't be a reality anymore, it's impossible. As he padded up to Monroe's home, the male let out a deep sigh. You can trust him. He told himself, before knocking on the door. "Hey Monroe, are you awake?" He began to speak up, really hoping he didn't wake the male, "I know this is a bad time, but I have to speak with you regarding what happened at the Ascendants border."

When he didn't hear any response on the other side of the door, others would have assumed Monroe was asleep. They would have walked away, heading back to their house to try to sleep for the rest of the night. Bucky knew he should have done that. He should have gone back to his boathouse. He should have closed his eyes and attempted to sleep, but he stayed put. The longer he waited, the more he began to feel anxiety twist in his chest. It felt uneasy and discomforting, as if something wasn't right. He wasn't able to just walk away because of it. He couldn't assume it was his tiredness talking to him, playing with his head- something does't feel right.

Not even bothering to warn Monroe of his entry, the former assassin opened the door, and walked in with an attentive gaze. The house was quiet, way too quiet for his liking. Even if Monroe was asleep in another room, Bucky would hear his soft slumber. Plus, he probably would have heard scrambling paws by now, as Bucky is technically breaking an entry. He didn't get permission to walk in, anyone would be alert to an intruder. He could even pick up Monroe's scent, the scent lead to another room, and it was fresh. There are no scents from Monroe that indicate that he left the home, even with his enhanced nose, he couldn't pick up on any. But, he did pick up on Pincher's fading scent- it too lead to the same room as Monroe's- but it also trialed out, back to the entrance and out the door. He even picked up on the fading scent while waiting for Monroe to open up, he just didn't fully realize who it belonged to until now.

Without another word, Buckingham quickly headed towards the room, the size of anxiety in his chest increasing with each passing moment. Pincher was here, and after his little visit, Monroe wouldn't answer the door. The house was hauntingly quiet, and Monroe's scent hasn't moved, unlike Pinchers. "Monroe?" Buckingham called out as he began to enter the room, his metal paw stepping in. His eyes began to scan the room, looking at every single inch of it- and then, they landed on the shark feline. His light blue eyes locked on them, pupils widening at the sight before him. Monroe was laying perfectly still on the ground, his pearl necklace was in the reflection of the moonlight from the window. "Monroe...?" He spoke again, this time with fear laced in his tone, beginning to make his way over to the still male. When Bucky picked up Monroe's fresh and Pincher's fading scent, Bucky found no signs of a fight. If Pincher choked Monroe to death, there would have been bruises all over Monroe's neck. There would be fresh wounds if Pincher slayed the Helion- the only wounds he could find were self-inflicted. Monroe's claws were still in his chest, dug in deep. It looked like they were dug in his chest for awhile now.

As he looked closer, he could see the shark feline's parted jaws, it reminded him much of what he had been trying to do when under Riza's death grip. He had been gasping and gasping for air, to the point where he nearly died from suffocation. And Monroe here- he too was trying to breathe, and wasn't as fortunate as the former assassin.

He's dead. He thought as his paws began to shake, thoughts on the Asset fading away as if they were never there. "Fuck!" The male cried out as his knees buckled, tears swelling in his eyes. "You weren't suppose to die! You weren't..." He silently wailed as his voice trailed into sob, body convulsing as tears ran down his cheeks, unable to control his emotions. While utterly devastated, the former assassin felt afraid. He was scared, what were they suppose to do? The male didn't move, staying near his late friend and leader, as the moonlight shifted onto him and Monroe's corpse.