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Chapter Text

"What the hell is your problem, kora!? This guy will be a useful informant, so why the fuck are you so against him!? Is it just because he's a civilian, or is there something you're not telling us, kora!?"

Colonello's demands, slamming his palm into the rough oak of the table, his eyes narrowed and- for once- observant.

They had been in the midst of the Annual Arcobaleno meeting, where they discussed new missions, possible new contacts, and other Arcobaleno-related business. It had started with Kawahira's first meeting, and as dreadful as that had been, Luce had insisted they continue to meet, and unfortunately the Sky could be very persuasive. They're currently voting on a large, English twenty-something who had somehow landed a CEO position already, and his pending position as a regular informant. Colonello had suggested him, actually, having used the guy once or twice before, and having suitable blackmail against him- apparently he had abused his younger cousin when he was younger or something, and his parents were already in jail or the very same reason. Colonello had promised, quite grimly, that the same fate could very easily await the guy.

However, Colonello is quick to notice and almost quicker to point out, every time the guy's name- one Dudley Dursley- is mentioned, Skull tightens his fists until his knuckles bleed white, every very good and well-founded point that Colonello makes is instantly brushed aside- dismissed!- by the stuntman, who is then softly supported by Luce. At this point it's a matter of pride for Colonello- he can't allow the wimpy civilian to say his decision-making skills are untrustworthy, because where does that leave him in terms of gaining respect from sweet-hearted, strong-willed Luce, or insufferably smug Reborn? Unfortunately for the CEDEF soldier, they've long ago enforced the rule that the decision to either hire or not hire a staff member (assassins, informants, even cleaners) had to be unanimous in favor of hiring before any money was to be exchanged or any offer was to be made. In fact, the other are all feeling quite irate with the Cloud; as normally he could be easily persuaded to agree with anything. Skull bites his lip, hard, anxiously chewing on the tacky chain connecting his lip to his ear. Colonello focuses his hatred in on it, and without realizing it grips his rifle under the table. His finger twitches on the trigger, and he absently wonders how quickly Skull, with his miraculous healing rates, can heal from a shattered kneecap or two.

"Sorry." The word cuts through his mood, and he eyes Skull with confusion. The Cloud relaxes tightly-clenched fists, his blood slowly beginning to circulate back to where had previously been milky white. He exhales deeply, a sigh that sounds tired and wrong, and just that (never mind that he, the ever-egotistical nuisance that was Skull de Mort, had apologized) didn't quite sit right with the other Arcobaleno.

Skull is meant to be childish and carefree, it's his base personality.

But this teenager (barely even a man) in front of them has dark rings under his eyes badly concealed by makeup, and his hair is untamed, and his Flame sits wrong under his skin. "I just-" he cuts himself off, furrowing his brow. "I happen to know he was... He's likely to betray us- or become a nuisance." Skull did not specify whether that nuisance would be negative or not, but the comment on traitors paired with Skull's unsettled Flames was enough to tell them that no, Skull would not back down from this, and yes, Skull knew exactly what he was talking about. And that is all it takes for them to drop the matter completely- in fact they're quite ready to move on. It's only the soft words (that any normal person probably wouldn't have been able to hear, but then the Arcobaleno aren't normal by any standards) that their previously-civilian Cloud Lackey murmurs that delays them in the slightest.

"Especially if he ever realized who I am."

Fon presses his lips together into a hard, thin line, and doggedly ignores the comment.

As with all things Skull, the others follow his lead.

Chapter Text

Despite the Arcobaleno curse having been broken (Lǎo tiān bǎoyòu for Vongola) and their bodies slowly having returned to them - despite the fact that they no longer needed to live anywhere near each other - it seems that the Arconaleno mansion remains a home to it's seven residents. Quite possibly it has to do with Yuni of the Giglio Nero residing there; a friendly (even if not Harmonised) Sky.

The place is tactfully designed -perfect in case of attack, and it keeps those who are less agreeable away from each other. It's for this exact reason that Fon's room is the only one on the same corridor as Skull's. The Storm is the least violent and can handle the whiny protesting of the ex-stuntman, and that's why in the middle of the night on a rainy (miserable) Tuesday he is the only one to hear the frantic screaming coming from Skull's locked bedroom.

It is an unspoken (but loudly enforced) rule that the Arcobaleno don't enter each other's rooms. They all have high-risk work and personal lives, and they all need a safe haven that cannot be interrupted by another. For each of them, this is their rooms. Nobody knows what is inside them except, perhaps, for Viper, who rather forcefully insisted that they bought most of the furniture, haggling fiercely for the best possible deal. 

However, at the raw, panicked screech Fon runs down the corridor immediately, touching the lock and sending a burst of Storm into it, destroying the locking mechanism. His eyes roam the room, slightly panicked, searching for signs of an intruder. There's nobody. Still, Skull is screaming. Closer observation is necessary, and it tells Fon that the stuntman is asleep, and that it is a nightmare that's gripping him, not an assailant.

At this point, he should leave. There's nobody here except Skull, and he's possibly breaking the Cloud's trust by encroaching on what he must consider his territory. Skull is a Cloud, after all, even if he rarely displays the typical hallmarks of one. His eyes dart to the corner of the room, where a small tank sits. It's probable occupant- Oodako the Squid- is missing. It's possible he's in the lake outside. The room is surprisingly clean, actually. Even in the dark, Fon can see the neatly ordered rows of files sitting on a bookshelf. It's the only bit of furniture in the room other than the bed and the wardrobe- which Fon really ought to check in case someone is hiding inside it.

He walks over to it gracefully, careful to be quiet, and happy that Skull's noise has abated at least a little. He opens the doors. Nobody's there. On the left door there is a mirror, and on a shelf inside is a stack of makeup supplies. Hanging up, there's only five identical stuntsuits, and seven identical black tank tops. At the bottom of the wardrobe is two pairs of leather boots. And that's it. That is the contents of Skull's wardrobe- nothing else. He shuts the doors carefully, catching a glimpse of his guilty face in the mirror as he does so. 

"No! Give them back!"

Skull moans the words, still unconscious, and Fon nearly jumps out of his skin. He redirects his attention to the sleeping stuntman, remembering the reason for even being here (and breaching Skull's privacy...)

He turns to leave- or he wants to turn, but he can't quite bring himself to twist his gaze away from the absoloutely tortured expression Skull has on his face. 

He tosses and turns, arms reaching out for something not real; or not something Fon can see, at least. He grips the white bedsheets beneath him and he shrieks, again, (and were those tears? Is Skull crying?) and Fon watches with softened eyes and-

and he realises then that he can't leave. He can't leave Skull like this, in pain even while he sleeps. Skull has no business being in pain ever, if Fon can help it, and this... looks horrible. He's had nightmares himself, of course he has. But he's an assassin, he's killed people. He's supposed to have nightmares. Skull isn't, he hasn't, and he shouldn't.

So he approaches, Flame low, only he is pushed back by a wave of almost-physical Cloud flames that are very, very powerful and very, very protective.

"They aren't dead! Let me go! GIVE THEM BACK!"

He screeches, flailing wildly, legs kicking everything away from him, flames still forming a violet barrier around him. Fon, is very much concerned at this point, and the decision to wake Skull up becomes suddenly much more urgent because this is dangerous, and Skull could really, really hurt himself. And seeing as Fon can't initiate physical contact (which riles up his Flame for a whole different reason) Fon focuses on sound.

"Skull. Skull. SKULL." With a start, the Cloud's eyes fly open and his flames retract almost immediately. His gaze flits around the room guiltily until he sees Fon. And he stares, mouth open, utterly shocked to see the martial artist. Fon is very ready to apologise for the intrusion- and it's possible that Skull won't ever trust him again after this, but he couldn't just stand there and allow Skull to... to continue.

"What... Did you hear, um- Ah. Sorry." Skull splutters, cheeks a flaming red and eyes averted. "I guess I was loud tonight." Fon frowns heavily. He doesn't really understand why Skull isn't angry with him- maybe he'll come to his senses in a moment- but Skull's reaction has him even more concerned than before. Is this a regular occurence? Why would Skull dream about... well, whatever it was it was traumatic, certainly. And he didn't think Skull had recieved experiences that would lead to episodes like that. Was he wrong? Why did Skull say he was loud? Was he usually quieter? Lǎo tiān bǎoyòu, did he hide this- whatever this was- from the rest of them? His peaceful smile worms its way onto his features and he nods reassuringly at Skull.

"May I ask what it was about?" He inquires in what he hopes is a pacifying tone, but now Skull has clammed up, and he probably went too far. He can't just leave it like this, though, not if he knows Skull is suffering like this. If it was Reborn or Colonello or Lal, they'd have shot him by now, and even Yuni would have told him to piss off, but Skull... wasn't like that.

"Just a nightmare. Nothing to worry about." He says, with a grin to hide the lie, and they both know it. They both know it's a lie, and the fact that Skull would lie to him is what makes him different to begin with. Because true, if it were any of the others that he expressed concerns about, they'd tell him to fuck off, but they wouldn't lie about it, because they all work risky jobs, and they all know the consequences of that. But Skull lies, because he's clearly trying to hide it. And that's something that Fon doesn't know how to deal with.  Still, he knows when to give up, and he knows that there's information here that Skull will not divulge on pain of death. He can feel it in his bones and in his sorely offended (at the apparent rejection) Flame.

"Well then. I hope the rest of your night is more peaceful." He says, bowing slightly before turning to leave, for real this time.

And it's only with hypertrained ears that he hears the soft; "Thank you, Fon." from Skull's bed, and there is a gentle warmth in his chest that he didn't know could come from three quiet words.

It's with an even more highly trained impulse control (and knowledge of how much it must have hurt Skull's endless pride and egotistical nature to say just that) that he doesn't squeeze Skull tightly and pepper his face with kisses, not leaving his room ever ever. Instead, it takes every ounce of his carefully honed self-control to do nothing but smile a little before closing the purple door behind him.

Chapter Text

Skull has a phone.

The idea shouldn't really be as surprising as it is - they do live in a modern world, after all - but still Viper finds it odd. It isn't a disposable either, which is strange, because Viper has drilled into him the importance of maintaining invisibility, and a regularly-used, personalized phone is decidedly not a good way to remain untraceable. It's old, and damaged (ridiculously scratched screen, barely functioning camera) and it's also been accidentally left unguarded in the kitchen.

Well. The password was his fucking birthday, practically an insult to Viper’s countless warnings, so clearly Skull doesn't really mind if Viper takes a peek? There could be valuable information in here (indeed, there could be a whole host of blackmail material), and information is money, after all.

They go to his photos first. There are several adverts for his stunts, decreasing in professionalism as they trawl back through time - but then the dates go back to what must be his school days, because there are teenagers laughing. Two feminine (and at least biologically female) and three masculine (again, appearing cisgendered, although who are they to judge?) 

The leftmost feminine one has wild, bushy hair and is surrounded by books. She appears distracted, and barely spares a glance at the camera, mostly focussing on the other feminine one standing slightly off to the side, and looking at something behind the camera has long blonde hair, and a certain finesse in fashion that Viper definitively admires. The three masculine teens (one ginger, one brunette and the other raven) appear to be in the midst of a drinking contest of some sort. The raven has the most piercing emerald eyes that Viper thinks they have ever encountered, outside of Verde. The ginger is wearing what is quite possibly the ugliest item of clothing they’ve ever seen, some attempt at a knitted jumper. The brunette looks uncomfortable. All three of them are staring at the blonde.

They close the app only because they don't remember seeing any of the photographed teens in any kind of communication with Skull, and as such they're inconsequential, and no use for blackmail at all.

They open contacts to find a grand total of eleven numbers inputted. There's only three on speed dial, and none of them are Arcobaleno, although their numbers (along with one L.J.) are there. A.T., T.T., N.L. Viper supposes some of them are people in the photographs. There's a message left by 'A.T.', that when played sounds in a rasping, much older feminine voice

"Edward's been asking for you. We haven't seen you in months. At least visit sometime so we know you haven’t finally kicked the bucket, will you?”

Viper knows that Skull hasn't had the time to visit anyone in the last few months- Reborn has been running him off his feet. They put the phone back down, exactly where it was before, with no real intention of ever spreading the information. After all, Skull isn't really the type to need blackmailing. They can just threaten him to get the job done.

Chapter Text

Their mission had been a set-up. It was not often that the Arcobaleno received a mission collectively, as really any one of them could have completed the task of stealing the blueprints for some engine or other. It wasn't violent, so even Skull could probably do it on his own. There were no guards- but that was what made it suspicious. Weird. Why would anyone pay such an extortionate amount just for some blueprints? Reborn just didn't know.

Pushing up his fedora, he swept an eye across the others. Mainly, they seemed composed, weary of an attack or ambush. Even Skull had relaxed his muscles and sunk into a fighting stance. Of course. The Cloud seemed to have learnt this over the time that Reborn shot at him. Who said it wasn't for a good cause? He smirked darkly as he (leading the group as always) shoved open an iron door. He stopped dead at the sight that lay before him, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Red covered every inch of the room, a mess of body parts had been flung around, the deceased had been torn to pieces. "Mio dio." He had whispered, and it was clear the others felt the same. He waited for the shriek Skull was sure to make, or some other such idiotic noise that would bring guards or anything that was protecting this- this mess, but it never came.

His coffee eyes slid to the Cloud, and confusion twisted his features as he saw that Skull was fine. He had not shouted. He had not stared. He seemed less bothered than Reborn, in fact, he seemed accustomed to this. What did they make him do in Carcassi? It was not healthy. He even saw the resigned grimace flicker across the ex-stuntman's face, for a moment, and then it was gone. One instant in which Skull had felt bad. That was it. He was saying something, but Reborn knew it couldn't be good.

"Ah shit. A direct Sectumsempera. Too late for this guy."

Reborn frowned, wrinkling his nose. Sectumsempera... Always cutting? That seemed odd. What did Skull mean, anyway? Why did he even care about the Cloud when he should be focused on the mission- except it seemed Skull had already done that. He had walked over the blood-covered floor and snatched up the papers, whilst the others were still a little surprised and mildly horrified at the brutal way the man (Was it a man? How did Skull know?) had been massacred. He grinned somewhat sheepishly, as he handed Reborn the folders. "Here ya go, Senpai..." His smile faded as he saw the looks he was getting. "What's wrong? Oh. Right. Yeah. I've seen worse. You guys have too, right?"

That was true. They had seen much worse than this. It didn't mean they didn't mourn for the loss of life. Was Skull a sociopath? Probably. That, or the Carcassi had turned him into one.

Chapter Text

The death of Nono was not unexpected, and still it shook greatly the ground on which Vongola Decimo and his guardians stood. It had been four months since the elderly man had retired with Tsuna to take over his place.

The old man had moved to rural Italy, and had apparently been picked off by a small gang. Naturally, they had been disposed of with vicious intent. Tsuna held the funeral at Vongola mansion, inviting everyone he could think of and leaving the open 'friends welcome' for everyone he couldn't.

Still, when the day arrived and they were all dressed in black (except, of course, for their ties) Reborn recognised everyone. At least- almost everyone. Now, as the boss, it should have been Tsuna's job to welcome people, and still, after many gunshots and threats, Verde found himself (after a coaxing from Reborn) introducing people, to his endless irritation. He knew everyone already, except a man with a green dress shirt. He would normally ignore him, but his intuition (yes, he did have intuition) was screaming at him that the blonde man (who sat in complete and utter silence whilst murmurs of apology were passed around) was dangerous, and Verde had always listened to his instincts.

"Hello. I don't believe I have made your acquaintance before. I am Verde. It is... upsetting that we must meet under such circumstances, Mister...?" The man lifted his gaze and Verde inhaled rather sharply as he saw the sheer coldness reflected in mercury eyes. He smiled falsely, and nodded.

"Right. You are Timoteo's... friend. I am Draco Malfoy." He pressed his lips into a thin, disproving line. "I am looking for someone. Perhaps you have seen him?" A question, undoubtedly, and again his intuition told him the man was actually dangerous; only not to him or his, but to the people who were hiding whoever he was looking for, and he relaxed. It told him he could give this man information.

"Well, that would depend on who you are looking for, Mr Malfoy." He said happily, smiling coldly even as 'Draco' looked on indifferently. He hesitated for a second before responding. "He is known by these people as Skull de Mort," he said, the name spoken with much distaste, "and we have much to speak about."

Verde's eyes widened a fraction, if only for a second, but the blonde gave him a grim smile, clearly having seen the flicker of recognition he had shown. "Yes, he is one of my acquaintances. I can lead you to him after the funeral- there is a private room for our group."

The words were not accurate, but his intuition told him that the man did not know of the Arcobaleno, did not care for the fragile lines between friendship and acquaintanceship. Draco's mouth twisted again, into what might once have been considered a smirk.

"Yes. I would find that quite agreeable." So, they waited until all the speeches were done, all the tears were wept (including his Dame-Student, unfortunately) and the Ninth was buried. Then, people made their way to the mansion, and the World's Greatest Scientist (capitalization very much necessary, thank you very much) lead this stranger towards the ex-stuntman ex-Arcobaleno. "Lackey, someone wants to talk to you." He said brashly, standing behind the young adult. He watched as Skull turned around, an obnoxious grin slowly melting as he noticed who was standing next to Verde.

"Oh no."

In an instant, Draco had somehow slipped behind Skull and was now gripping his tiny body tightly. Everyone in the vicinity could feel the very powerful and very vicious Mist flames creeping around him.

"What did I tell you about running off? Did I not say what I would do?"

Skull was squirming in his hold now, and all heads were turned, particularly the other ex-Arcobaleno, and Skull ground his teeth.

"Yes. Okay."

At this point, Verde had aimed some sort of contraption towards the Malfoy, because, sure, Skull was a Lackey, but he was Reborn's Lackey, and Reborn didn't like when people messed with things that were his, and Verde didn't want to have to spend any more time away from his experiments than he had to.

"You imbecile. Thinking you can run away from your crimes."

Draco had ignored the complex machinery, dismissing it as a fake, he presumed, and his hand had moved to Skull's neck. No one moved. Still, Verde's intuition told him the man would not do Skull any real harm. The two switched to English (they could all speak English anyway.)

"Sorry." Came the strangled reply, and they had never known Skull to apologise. The hold on his neck loosened slightly. "There was a curse." He added, after a gulp of air.

"Indeed. I suppose I could forget I saw you- in exchange for a favour."

Skull's eyes brightened, even with his uncomfortable position.

"What?"

"You have to visit."

There was a telling pause, and then an attempt at a nod, that became a strangled cry and a gasp of relief as he was let go, and fell to the floor clutching his throat.

"See you later, Potter."

The man turned on his heel and left, walking briskly. All eyes turned to Skull, who gave no reaction, and also slipped away from a stunned Verde, who (despite his genius that had earned him the title of the Reincarnation of de Vinci) couldn't really compute whatever the fuck had just happened.

Chapter Text

Lal frowned. They all knew Skull was a light drinker, so why was she being called by a barman twenty minutes away being told to pick up her 'friend with a helmet'?

Why had the Lackey been out drinking, anyway?

Last she heard, the stupid baby was supposed to have taken a mission to eliminate a psycho kid who started murdering people.

From what she heard on the phone (although there was this weird sobbing sound interfering with the reception) the idiot had pretty much consumed an entire bottle of rum.

The cloud didn't even like rum.

Cursing, and promising she would inflict serious pain on the lackey the following morning, she made her way to the establishment.

The purple-haired menace was slumped against the bar, shoulders shaking. Lal assumed the idiot was passed out, but when she whacked him in the head with a gun for making him come out here in the middle of the night, he received a murmur in response.

"I killed her."

Frowning, annoyed at the Lackey for even being here and confused at the random use of English (of course she understood it but it was still weird.) She whacked the Lackey again.

"Why did she have die? It's unfair, when I can't."

He said in a soft small voice, and Lal blinked.

Well, maybe this was a chance to hear Skull's backstory.

Of course, Lal was expecting a typical 'nobody believed in me but I carried through my dream to be a stuntman' story from Skull.

Maybe 'my parents sold me to the circus' if the Cloud Arcobaleno had been unlucky.

She frowned, almost unnoticeably, until her mouth curled into a wicked smirk.

Yes, now was the perfect time to find all the embarrassing bits to use against the lackey in the future- still, she might as well get Colonello-Monkey to help her.

She dialed the Rain Arcobaleno's number, saying simply the address, and that he had better show up.

So, not five minutes later, the three of them were in the bar, despite the barman's vehement protests.

Colonello carried Skull's body- lighter than it should have been, really- back to the Arcobaleno mansion.

They both noted the faint smell of blood surrounding the Cloud, as well as the smudged make-up that suggested he had been... He hadn't been crying, had he?

God, that would bring shame on their names as the world's strongest seven.

They both seemed to be frowning a little, probably planning revenge on the weakling.

He shifted a few times, murmuring a few unintelligible words.

They put him on a bed, and surrounded him, turning on the light and making him wake up. He groaned.

"Huh? Lal-senpai? Why are you in the manor? You don't fit here... You're a Muggle, aren't you?"

The two of them surrounded him, snickering. "So, Skull. You got drunk?"

He stared at Lal, confused.

"...Drunk? I was... Oh God. Oh Merlin- I... It was me. I told them. Fuck, I-"

He broke off into sobs, and they both watched, unsure how to react. His make-up smudged more, and he wiped at it with his sleeve until they saw raw flesh underneath it, and it was rude to stare, and they didn't. They dismissed it as a wound of some kind. They let Skull sleep, because the Cloud was genuinely upset and they had never seen him actually cry before, and resolved to leave him be in the morning- just for a while.

Chapter Text

There had been three Skies for their generation. Three generations, in fact. A child, her mother, and her grandmother. Not all had been alive at the same time- Luce had never lived to see Yuni- but all had bonded with the Arcobaleno. Or, most of the Arcobaleno.

Luce had noticed it first, of course. To begin with, Skull had never been in any future she could see. Skull was an unknown, some sort of mysterious entity that moved independent of fate. She had felt the shattered soul- the bond that had been wrenched so forcefully from him. Any attempt at bonding would destroy him, she was sure, especially as she was to die so soon.

So, although Luce was there for Skull- comforting, almost- they were never really close. They couldn't be. Skull had his Sky, already, even if she was gone, his loyalty would never change. Maybe, since Reborn's bond was so close to her, maybe this was what drove him away from Skull. Maybe this was what made him so aggressive and demeaning towards the stuntman, because there was always something off about him, and he was never going to be a part of this set. Maybe that was it.

Her death was expected, and so her guardians were able to have some closure. She held them close to her, and her daughter (her beautiful, beautiful daughter... If only there was another way...) was able to say goodbye. Skull watched silently, as a Cloud does, and when she was gone Reborn hated him even more.

Aria was a replacement, for the others. She would never be their Sky, they had thought at first. Skull was at least expected for her, but the other's rejections had hurt. Skull was nice to her; as nice as he could be without them bonding and his very essence being ripped to shreds. She knew, and he knew she knew, which made it okay when they were alone and Skull laughingly said "An alive friend is better than a dead guardian, right?"

Eventually, the others warmed to her, and Skull was again ostracized, because he could never harmonize again. Never. Not even a primary bond would be okay, and bonds came before friendship, and he could deal with that. It hurt, but he could deal with it.

She died, as had Luce, and Reborn for a moment had teetered dangerously on the edge of discordance, but Skull had stood in front of him, given him somewhere to direct his anger and his hate. Yuni saw. She saw everything. She saw his subtle movements- even if she couldn't see his future or his past. She saw the quiet things that said he was not what he claimed to be; what others claimed he was.

But she was swayed by the others- still an impressionable child who was told time and time again that Skull was stupid, weak, annoying. They summed it up for her in one word. Lackey. So, she believed them.

Until, one day, Yuni saw. What she saw, she did not know. It was future and past and present, and it was horrifying. Terrible. But it was Skull. It was everything that was Skull, everything that made him so broken and so horrifyingly accepting and beautifully strong even if he chose to it hide behind a weak mask.

Yuni screamed, and her head felt like it was bursting open, and that had been Skull, for God's sake. That one second, one glimpse of him had been agony, and he lived with that every day and was still so selfless, so giving.

She was so much more understanding after that.

Chapter Text

"Don't!" He almost screams into the earpiece- it's being wrenched away from him by his captors anyway- because the Arcobaleno have just said they were coming to rescue him. And he can't have that.

"Don't do it! I'm fine! I'm with friends and I'll get out by myself, Senpai- Don't come for me, I-" Tape is roughly enforced across his mouth, making him cut off abruptly, but he still makes those muffled screams. Panic.

(Don't come for me, I can't let you die for me, you're too important and I can't let anyone else die just because I'm too weak.)

They don't come for him, in the end. Maybe it's because they trust him, or maybe it’s because they hate him; and they weren’t coming anyway. Maybe it’s because really, after being thrown headfirst into the Mafia all those years ago, really by now he ought to be able to take care of himself for once; or maybe it's because he had screamed for them not to, maybe... whatever the reasoning, he doesn't regret it.

His captors kill him off in an astounding number of ways (but none that he hasn't tried himself, hoping for an end to this fucking shitshow of a life) and then they move on to the torture.

It’s always the torture.

They're creative, this Famiglia, and clever enough to conceal their identity at least, so that when he’s inevitably returned to his... well, to the Arcobaleno, they won’t be able to find retribution, as much as he thinks Reborn, at least, will seek it. A lot of issues with that one. Some kind of posessive control disorder, he thinks.

They’re clever and creative and cruel, but they aren't a patch on Death Eaters (or even Snape, really.) He's had years of torture- physical, mental, magical, emotional; you name it- and this mild water boarding thing they've got going on isn't nearly enough to make him tell them anything.

Not when he’s gone from the Vernon Dursley to Dumbledore to Voldemort to Reborn. Each a horror in their own right; men with so much power over him and so vicious to him for no good goddamned reason it makes his blood boil and his Flames writhe in that familiar, oppressed way, yearning for freedom.

The only time he does talk to this week’s torturers is to split his lips, the laughter bubbling over and giggle that he's the best goddamn stuntman in the world. They get bored of him, eventually, but not being able to kill him is a real problem, for them.

He looks the rookie tasked with the disposal of his body in the eye sympathetically. He says, smiling crookedly, that he comes across this problem a lot, and offers to share tips. For his troubles, he earns a black eye to match the six he’s had that day, and black duct tape slapped on his mouth.

Eventually, they decide to dump him in the ocean- it's not like anyone will find him, and he'll just die from the lack of oxygen on an endless, endless loop. He’s been there before, for maybe three months. It’s not an experience he’d reccomend, really.

They tie him up, thick iron chains that he thinks must be custom made because they fit him perfectly, and they drop him into the Mediterranean. It’s painful, for about twenty minutes, and he’s really, really fed up. What they've obviously forgotten about is Oodako. It reminds him of the way they’d met, actually. The squid comes swimming up to him, considers him for a moment as if to confirm his identity (which he reckons is probably understandable, seeing as he’s now, for the first time in a good few decades, makeup free, his dye has grown out so his hair is its natural raven, and his entire face has been rearranged.)

Once decided, his friend begins dragging him up to the surface. It’s a slow process, but he comes round, he's washed ashore and butt naked. Oodako snags a battered leather jacket for him from god knows where, so big that it comes down to his knees and practically drowns him (and isn't that ironic), but he doesn't care as long as there’s something to cover his body. 

Slowly, feeling pathetic and miserable, he starts walking into town, his body a bloody mess. He looks like he’s just been through a fucking meat grinder; his hair is matted with his own blood, and probably full of seaweed. He catches sight of a newspaper stand- it's been five months since he disappeared.

Still, he's almost thankful that nobody came for him. It means that nobody was hurt. He's had enough of other people hurting because of him. He doesn't have the energy to think much beyond that. He allows his body to carry on without him, and eventually, after what could have been a few hours and could have been a few months, he finds his way to the door of the Arcobaleno mansion. He still looks like hell, he knows. As far as he’s aware, he hasn’t stopped walking this entire time. The soles of his feet are bloodied and blistered and they look like they’ve been sliced into like a joint of ham, but he’s far past the point of feeling any physical pain. 

Inside he can hear them worrying, voice muffled and strained through the thick walls of an Italian manor house- even, oh horror of horrors, Verde is beginning to lose his cool- and they're all planning how to get him out.

Time and time again Yuni rejects their decisions, saying that Skull absolutely did not want them to help him. She’s right. Of course shs is.

He must have been standing outside the door for a good ten minutes, maybe twenty if his dissociation is acting up again, and Fon seems to be twitchy about something- probably he can feel his presence.

"There's someone outside." The Storm says, and he can feel from here the switch in Flame as they're all instantly turned to alert. He just stands there, dazed, face battered and legs barely standing, and he wonders, tiredly, why he even came back. It’s not just the toxicity and the manipulation and the desperate want for freedom he can find here; there’s also that he just can't put them in danger, not like he did with —

- he can't.

Sighing, he gathers whatever small scrap of energy he has left (and it sure as hell isn't very big) and he opens the door using the code he'd been given when he was first trapped in this hellhole.

"I'm back." He grunts, and starts walking towards the stairs, like this is just a normal day.

"Skull?" Yuni says cautiously, the others not daring to move.

"Mm? I said I was fine, didn't I?" Skull murmurs, sleepily (and oh boy, is he sleepy. Nap time, bitches.) He laughs, after a moment, weak and fragile and they can all see him break. "The great Skull-sama was with his friends."

He hisses the word, because it's obviously a lie, and they can't help him because he's pushing them away but oh god do they want to.

He gives them a small thumbs up-

(a mockery of 'I'm fine', a false 'It doesn't hurt'. It's what he uses in his stuntwork, to show his crowd that he lives despite the fatal plummet or the fiery rings.)

-and collapses, exhausted.

Chapter Text

“He won’t-“

“-I can’t find the-“

“-you think- wake up soon?”

The words come in snatches that he can’t quite make sense of. He can’t tell the time between them, either, but when his eyes finally open at his command, the room he’s in is empty aside from a squealing Oodako in a tank in the corner of them room. The squealing must have alerted his fellow teammates, because he barely gets the chance to turn his head and observe his surroundings before the knock comes at the door. He pushes himself up onto his elbows slowly, wincing at the dull ache in his back and neck, calling for the visitor to enter.

It turns out to be Fon, who looks like he hasn’t slept in a week. Skull squints, adjusting his eyes to the bright light of the room. By the looks of it, he’s in the spare room next to the infirmary, which has evidently been raided because he’s on an IV.

“How long?” Skull asks, voice thick with disuse. Fon frowns, coming closer to the bedside. His hand reaches up to feel Skull’s forehead, and the frown deepens.

“Two weeks.” Fon answers, chewing almost unnoticeably on his lower lip. Skull groans and slides down back under the cover. “Are you okay?”

Skull sighs, shaking his hand from side to side. “So-so.” He admits, and then pauses. “I think I have some things to explain, though.”

Fon nods levelly, and his eyes flicker to the door.

“Come in.” He says, softly, and the door immediately swings open along with all six other eavesdropping ex-arcobaleno. Most of them are subtly relieved that he’s awake, he can tell. Yuni is very obviously pleased.

“Thank you for... for not saving me. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but...” He struggles with the words, bites his tongue when he realises he doesn’t know what it is he’s planning to reveal.

“But what?” Reborn snaps, and that’s when Skull can suddenly make out the dark circles under his eyes and the twitching of his hand. Reborn had been... had been worried, about him. Had lost sleep over it, maybe. And Skull owed him an explanation, at least.

He’s quiet for a moment, tries to gather his words and the courage to say them (but then again, he’s always been a Gryffindor, so maybe it is just the words he’s struggling with.)

“The last time someone came to save me, they didn’t make it out.” He mutters darkly, and there’s a sharp intake of breath from Yuni. “I... they were precious to me, and you all...”

He fades to silence, and stares listlessly at the crumpled white of the bedcovers.

Lal swats him in the head with an AK-47, although much more gently than usual. “You really are an idiot, y’know.” She huffs, and Colonello nods enthusiastically.

“You really think we’d be brought down so easily, kora!?” He exclaims, but Skull trembles under the sheets and still hasn’t met their eyes.

“No.” He says, lips pressed thinly together. “But neither did I think they were fallible. Those people were born with gifts that would have made them invincible in the Mafia. They were not the strongest seven, but I dare say any one of them could have taken any one of you in a fight, fair or otherwise. They were not weak.” He pauses, looks each of them deep in the eyes because he needs them to understand this.

“They were overwhelmingly strong, but they were emotionally compromised and ultimately they paid for that with their lives. They paid for my rescue with their lives, and all of them were aware that this was the cost of my salvation.” Pain dances in Skull’s eyes, but he does not flinch away from their gazes.

“I do not ever want to have to face such consequences again, do you understand? It is my will that I gladly suffer a thousand years of the worst torture imaginable before a single other person dies for me.” The flare of his Flame that accompanies the statment- almost an order, really- is enough to drive the message home, as pained and angered as it is.

It’s Yuni who next speaks, oddly enough, and in that one moment she seems decades older than she is. “You have already lost us.” She remarks gravely, and Skull’s hands tighten into fists.

“I have lost you to time, not to my own flaw. This request is selfish and cruel, and I ask it of you anyway.” Skull replies, and Fon is totally lost.

As it happens, so is Verde, only he’s a lot less used to not knowing what’s going on, and a lot more vocal about it.

“The hell are you two on about?” He monotones, glancing suspiciously between them.

“You’re immortal.” Reborn says deadpan, and Skull winces.

“Immortal might be a bad choice of words.” He admits, and fidgets a little under the covers. “I can die, after all, it just never seems to stick.”

Verde’s brain seems to short circuit.

“I realise, Skull, that you are perhaps lacking the mental capacity to realise what a huge deal this is- but- this is a huge deal.” The scientist is waving his hands around, mumbling all sorts of theories under his breath.

Skull smiles grimly. “That’s what everyone thinks.” He mutters, and closes his eyes, stretching casually. “Anyway, are we cool now?”

There’s a long, uncomfortable moment where nobody says anything, and Skull nods abruptly. “The great Skull-sama has recovered!” He announces, and is instantly bashed on the head by Lal, who shrugs and says he was being annoying.

Yes. For now, at least, it looks like everything’s back to normal. One day, he’s sure he’ll tell them about who he used to be, just...

Not today.