Once again don't own…and pay attention to the times.

What's in the rooms?

Verde was cowering behind a reinforced bulwark quivering. It wasn't holding against the beast tearing away at the other side. For once the world's greatest scientist was scared of an experiment. He was going to die. As he heard the steel being gutted he tried to remember how such a nice day turned this bad.

When Verde woke up he was…off. He decided that breakfast would fix him right up. He walked into the kitchen and sat at the table and sighed happily. The bright airy kitchen would have lightened anybody's mood. He laughed. Verde's feet touched the floor. Happy Day! As the rest of the Arcobaleno wandered in Luce pulled out several dozen pancakes. Those light fluffy breakfast delights were annihilated. Even Bermuda had joined them for breakfast. Even after breakfast Verde still felt off. He wandered around before heading off to his lab/room. After closing the door behind him a voice caused him to jump "what's up Verde, you seem dazed."

Whipping around Verde saw Bermuda sitting in his lab. Figuring anything dealing with the undead he didn't want to know (the only thing he didn't involve himself in) he answered "I've been feeling off…I can't even concentrate on my experiments!" he finished with a grand gesture to the circus of tubes vials and chemicals on every table in the large white room.

Bermuda looked around (how he saw with those bandages on was another mystery to Verde) and tapped his chin. His eyes(?) took in every thing about the room. White linoleum tiles, pure white paint on the walls and ceiling, all the room at the front and sides and the middle was taken up by large tables save a little corner where a fume hood sat and a small bed at the other end with a door next to it for a bathroom. "why don't you sneak in and catalog your fellow Arcobaleno's rooms?" Verde lit up. It was a brilliant experiment.

Day one

First Test: Colonnello 12:00 pm

Verde decided to run the experiment in alphabetical order but Bermuda didn't live with them so Colonnello it was! As he snuck into the room he silently snickered at the lack of security. The fool didn't even close his door. His room was based off camo. The room was the light green while the bed, carpet and dresser were dark green. The only things not based on the color scheme was the TV and a picture. The TV was a Sony 34" flat screen and the picture was him with his arm around Lal before the entire Arcobaleno thing. The only thing in the bathroom to tell that anyone lived in it was a neon green toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste and a dark green towel. Verde wasn't amused "doesn't' he have anything not green?" the scientist muttered to himself before waltzing out and moving on.

Second Test: Fon 12:00:01

With the only other man who had cranial capacity beyond that of an insect Verde decided to ask. Fon wouldn't mind and did indeed let him in. Fon left Verde alone in his room. Verde wouldn't dare touch anything. Fon made it clear if the fung shui or chi flow was disturbed Verde wouldn't be alive…or reincarnated. Verde stood in the middle and gazed around the room in interest. Everything was balanced around a eastern facing window. Verde didn't particularly care for the feel of the tatami mats under sock but he really didn't have a choice. Right under the window was Fon's hammock so that he would rise with the sunshine on his face. On either side of the window was a side table with a brass incense burner on top. Beyond that was a large calligraphy scroll with the Chinese character for peace hanging from the walls. On the sides were some plants and cushions with a table. He looked at the walls everything was set in calming colors. He shrugged and walked out. As he closed the door he missed a door hidden behind the one leading into the hall. Fon smirked. Verde was so single minded he would never see the hidden room…

Third Test: Lal Mirch 1:30

Verde asked the Amazonian if he could go in because he knew she didn't care. As he walked in he felt like he saw his room when they first got the new mansion from the allied families. Everything but the floor was still white. The carpet was still the same light brown. The only things in the room were a military issue cot, a night stand with a lamp and the same picture that Colonnello had. A small table under the window held the only personal thing in the entire room. He stared harder at the object. It was an ash tree with an eagle in the branches. The pure crystal that formed Yggdrasil and the unnamed eagle was threw rainbows across the room. He smiled. Into the bathroom. As he snuck in he looked to the left and saw the doors to the closets. Each room had the closet in the bathroom (to this day it still bugged him as to why). He pulled open the door and opened one of the built in drawers. He was shocked. He was stunned. He was…he was…in awe of that stupid worm. In the space were a couple sets of lingerie, all of a sudden Verde's pants were too tight, and four boxes of condoms . One particularly sexy set of panties had the word "Colonnello" written on it. He hear the door open. He started muttering "ohshitohshitohshit" and closed everything before scrambling for a hiding place. As he hauled himself into an air vent he heard a moan. Through the bars he saw the two subjects fighting for dominance. He didn't consider himself a voyeur but after three rounds his pants were stretched to the limit. They went through all four boxes and then some. After they passed out on the floor he snuck out.

End of Day 1 of testing (3:33:35 am)

Start of Day 2 of testing 8:00 am

This mornings breakfast was French toast and everybody ate several helpings, especially Lal and Colonnello. He looked around. Something was off. He shrugged he didn't know what but something was missing. Apparently he wasn't the only one. At one time or another everybody but Luce looked around. After a couple of seconds the cycle repeated and ended with Luce speaking "Skull got called away." everyone went back to eating peacefully.

Fourth Test: Luce 9:00

Verde asked Luce. Not because she was a mother figure (she was) or because she was kind (she was the kindest) but because he was scared of her (she was the scariest). She herself was the scariest thing he had ever seen. To be on her bad side was un…thinkable/believable/fathomable. Not to mention the other Arcobaleno she could sic on him. She smiled and nodded. He walked in. the room was a light blue with a white and gold fan in the middle of the ceiling. He looked around in awe, it looked so….domestic. That was it. The huge bed was piled high with silk pillows and a thick luscious comforter. Under the window was a vase of flowers. Off to one side was a bookshelf and a small parlor setting, two chairs and a small table. He noticed an odd thing. Both sides of the bed had night stands one had a lamp and a picture the other was empty. The picture was actually two in the same frame. Both had everybody one before the change and one after. He smiled. Leave it to Luce to be a mother. Always the mother. He didn't see anything but what he expected. As he exited he looked back she was pregnant now. He could tell she would be a good mother.

Fifth Test: Reborn 9:30

As he danced past the tripwires and the lasers he wiped his brow before going in further. As he looked the hitman's room was…a replica of Luce's. with a safe next to the parlor set. And the books were different. Alice in Wonderland morphed into Hammurabi's Torture wow. After looking around everywhere and avoiding traps he decided that it wasn't worth the traps and panic. He left. To you dear readers, yes his room is exactly as it seems…he missed another small door behind the one that led to the hall. Reborn and Fon were laughing at how much the scientist actually missed.

Sixth Test: Skull 1:03 Pm

He stared at the door. After he had tried everything the seemingly flimsy door didn't look any different. Fifty gallons of hyper concentrated sulfuric acid didn't do crap. Neither did the x-burner flamethrower. Nor the water cutter. Or the C4. He growled at the door and heard Reborn chuckle behind him "nobody can get in. I've been at it since we moved in." Okay. Moving on…although this would require further observation.

Seventh, erm…Sixth Test (v2) Viper 7:04

It was a good thing he had armed himself with the illusion glasses as every step produced a horrendous illusion. The glasses filtered out the illusions. He looked around at the room. It was painted in a dark and relentless grey with vines growing all over the walls and ceiling. All that was in the room was a odd door and a bed. He opened the bathroom and saw a dark purple towel and toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. He moved back to the room and rubbed his chin. He slowly snuck to the odd door and open it. He blinked and pulled of the glasses, cleaned the lenses and put them back on. Yup still there. It was a large portal, easily adult sized through it there was another door. Verde closed the door and though. Moving back to the bathroom he opened the closet. No clothes. Suspicion confirmed. Viper kept this room for daily necessities while the Varia room was for relaxation and clothes. Verde thought s/he had it backwards and left.

Sixth-Seventh…scratch it Final Test: Skull (v2) 8:00

Everybody but Skull sat at the table for dinner. There was a knock at the door. Instantly everybody had a weapon out. Colonnello, Lal and Reborn had guns, Fon a knife. He had a vial of a green acid. Luce, in her true fashion had the deadliest weapon in history in her hands. Everybody shuttered at the thought of actually using these things. Peanut butter chocolate cookies. WAAAAAAAA THE HUMANITY! A muffled voice loosened the nerves "hey, Guys? You there? It's me Skull" Luce let him in and dinner began. Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans. It was delicious.

After dinner Skull and Fon went to the latter's room. Verde joined them. As the martial artist set down three cups of tea Skull was twisting his head back and forth. Skull growled "Fon, can you use that killer neck thing?" Fon nodded and walked over to Skull. Verde thought that it was "killer" because it was awesome. He was wrong. Fon wrapped his arm under Skull's chin an the other over the spiky purple hair. A loud crack filled the air and Skull's sightless eyes peered at the ceiling. Verde sat in shock as Fon calmly sat down and drank his tea. After ten minutes Skull's finger twitched and he sat up. "thanks" and tea went on.

After the tea was gone Skull walked down to his room and faster than the eye could see undid all the locks, lasers, guillotines, bells and whistles. A phone rang twice before being picked up. Luce's voice called for Skull and the stuntman walked away. Verde cautiously entered.

Verde considered himself a man of science and emotion had no place in science. He was moved to tears.

The room was painted a dark purple but was brilliantly lit by a huge ceiling fan with large lights. The bed was draped in white blood spattered sheets. The desk had scars from where countless blades had cut across its surface. Verde's eyes didn't see any of this countless words were written in blood across the wall, which were littered with gun marks. As his eyes flitted from one phrase to another his emotions were getting the better of him. The original penmanship had been obliterated by the weight of the blood moving down slowly across the textured wall.

'my life is my fears

All made real

And I wonder what I did

To deserve this

And I realized

I didn't do anything.'

Across the bottom was an odd set of marks. He looked closer until he recognized the pattern and traced it back. This was what his mind was trained to do. At that moment he wished it wasn't. A person was sitting on the edge of the bed. They had put the barrel of a assault shotgun into their mouth and pulled until the clip was out. His eyes moved to the bed and across to another phrase.

'hope is a traveler in all our hearts

Hopeless is her shadow

Hopelessness is when she dies

What is it when she was chased

And when she cowered and cried she was raped

And abused. To this day she cries

In her cell and prays for hell?'

Verde stopped and looked down at the desk. A small purple stuffed bear with x for eyes and a noose sat on the corner. It was immaculately cared for. With it was a frame of Skull and a girl, both were maybe seven. She looked happy. He wasn't looking at the camera. He was staring at her. He looked like he was in love.

Skull walked into his room, the only place where the inner workings of his mind could take shape. The only place nobody could hear. As he took a cursory glance he saw Verde reading his walls. He grabbed Verde by the shoulders and threw him out of the room.

Verde looked up and saw Skull without helmet and looking extremely pissed. Verde didn't think it was his imagination conjuring up the black miasma around Skull. A wild roar echoed out of Skull and Verde ran into the safe room of the house…where everybody else was.

Reborn tsked and loaded a new clip into his gun before shaking his head and looking at Luce.

Luce patted Verde's head. "we knew you were looking in our rooms, but didn't you ask Skull?"

Verde looked indignant…until Colonnello's head spun like a top "you mean he was looking in our rooms?!"

Luce looked at the sweat dropping scientist. Reborn glared at Verde before muttering "dumbass…well, at least you could tell us what you saw."

Verde looked at his feet, he told them quietly. A bang was heard from the door. Reborn flipped a switch and a maze of four foot tall barriers popped up just as the reinforced door was ripped of the wall. Viper threw illusion after illusion at the rage-crazed man and Reborn fired shot after shot. Nothing was working. Verde had an idea, the girl in the picture. He described her perfectly to Viper who placed the illusion just as Skull broke the final bulwark. A eight year old girl with purple dyed hair the same shade and style as Skull stood in the view of the enraged beast. Her light blue eyes and mischievous smile stopped Skull in his tracks. Her tattered jeans and ratty Megadeath tee shattered any resolve the youngest of the Arcobaleno had. He collapsed onto his knees and pulled her hand to his face where the only tears he had shed in 30 years ran down his face. Unknown to all, including the illusionist, the image's personality was taken directly from Skull's memories. The girl pulled Skull into a hug and spoke in a soothing tone "hey, there-there. Now, Fuck face what's the matter?" a strangled chuckle escaped the crying man. Verde looked at his comrades and noted that both Reborn and Luce stiffened at the sight of the girl. After all the tension of the past years drained away sleep slowly engulfed Skull and Viper dropped the illusion.

As the group carried their sleeping comrade into his room the group took in the surrounding pain, Skull slowly stirred as the soft bloodstained silk brushed across his skin. After the group gazed back at Skull, Verde cleared his throat "Reborn, Luce?" every eye was on him "who was that girl?"

Luce looked at the ground as her accomplice gazed off through a wall. Luce spoke slowly at first but she built up speed. "When I first inherited the title of Don I got a letter from an anonymous sender. It had a full report about the little girl's family. Her parents were weapons designers for a enemy family…I contacted Reborn who was a free lance assassin at the time. They had just developed a target specific bomb, it would only detonate if it was around a designated substance. The level the threat from this bomb was incalculable. As Reborn did his job she walked in…"

Lal looked at the sun "what was her name?"

Reborn shrugged "I don't keep track of every name-"

"Isabella, but she hated the name she always wanted to be called Izzy…" Skull propped himself on his elbows " she was eight and a half when she died. She was my only friend" he paused again as tears started to fall "and my only love" Fon patted Skull's back as the others took a step back. Verde watched a tear. The mirrored surface reflected back every angel in a darkened view, as he wondered who the black liquid fell and stained the white silk black. He stepped forward and put a hand on the stuntman's shoulder.

"I'm sorry…"

And those tears of acid slowly ate away at all resolve.