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The street hums with the aftermath — sirens fading, the metallic tang of adrenaline in the air. Sunlight glints off the ladder truck as you stand beside Buck, mid-laugh about something stupid. Then a sharp crack splits the silence, and Buck jerks forward, a fine red mist painting your face. His blue eyes lock onto yours, wide and questioning. A beat. He crumples, cheek hitting the pavement with a soft thud. You look down at his blood on your hands. "you..." he whispers, barely audible, before his gaze goes distant.