Title: Poly!Arco

Summary: Two weeks after dying, Skull wakes up on a beach with only the memory of his first few decades alive and not one single mention of the Arcobaleno. That's fine, Skull doesn't need memories to know that he loves these assholes.

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Skull goes missing on a Tuesday. By Wednesday night, Milan is burning. By Sunday, the damage spreads to the edges of Europe and skips over into the Americas.

It takes a full week for the Arcobaleno's body count to hit three hundred but the growth is exponential.

It doesn't really matter who killed Skull, not after the other Arcobaleno sweep in - newly regrown to adults with all the strength that entails, no longer being drained to power the Triniset.

It doesn't matter, because everyone who did that to Skull, anyone who associated with the people who did it, any person who so much as heard a whisper of what was going to happen to Skull…

Three Italian famiglias, two American mobs, a drug ring that happened to be caught in the crossfire. A handful of police organisations trailing after them. Anyone who didn't talk fast enough when Mammon asked a question.

Half of Mafia Land.

The Arcobaleno have no breaks, is the thing. They have no mercy, they have no patience. They don't need to because who are they scared of? Who can possibly keep them in line? They're stronger now, together, than the Vindice – than a pointedly missing Checker Face.

What morals? What empathy? A serial killer with a paycheck leads them. They murdered their own Sky and celebrated with a home-made cake.

The Underworld was wary of them even as crippled infants, and watch how they run as the Arcobaleno move now.

And the Arcobaleno can move very fucking fast.

Skull wakes up on a beach. The kind with tiny pebbles instead of sand. It's pretty small, no one really around, and Skull is very naked but it's a nice warm temperature today so he's not too upset.

Skull looks down at himself and honestly, it's not the first (nor even the second) thing he sees but he spends a whole minute just staring at the little love heart tattooed just above a nipple. The love heart has two little curls coming out of the bottom's sides and for some weird reason, all Skull can see is sideburns.

There are other tattoos that Skull is pretty sure he didn't have before. Just the words 'Cash Money Bitches' written on by an unpractised hand. A raised scar on the inside of his arm now has a rainbow gradient of inked blood dripping down.

Damn, Skull must have been wasted last night. Last week? Fuck, last month?

Skull stands up and winces when the pebbles now dig into his feet and some stuck ones fall off his back, then looks around. Lots of cliffs and shit, some shack housing, no real landmarks. Skull is probably going to have to steal some clothes.

He spins around in a circle a few times without really knowing why and stops, staring out into the sea at angle, unerringly locating a certain group of World's Strongest, who are currently forty-seven kilometres south-west.

"Huh," Skull says.

And then he starts wading back out into the water, straight towards home.

Verde, with all his various cameras and spy equipment, is the first to stand up from the table and head towards the door. "Someone finally remembered to come back."

The other Arcobaleno cluster around behind the tall scientist, ready to take cover behind his Lightning flames in case Skull got serious head trauma and he's gone full psycho Cloud.

Skull wanders up the driveway of the old Arcobaleno manor in a mix of random clothes he probably stole considering none of it is purple. He stops in front of them, stares up with wide eyes. "Will you be my forever?"

Reborn steps out from his meat shield and crosses his arms. "Don't act cute with me. It took you two weeks, Skull. What the hell did you get distracted by?"

"Oh," Skull says sheepishly. "Sorry, apparently I was on a beach holiday?" He edges around Lal and takes Reborn's hand with a bright grin.

Reborn frowns.

"Where are your piercings?" Colonnello asks and flicks Skull's ear.

Verde rolls his eyes. "The tracker was in his spine. If that was destroyed, of course he wouldn't have his piercings."

"What was in my spine?" Skull asks.

"Never mind that," Fon says with a serene smile. "Nice to see you again, Skull. What do you remember last before you woke up?"

Skull takes a moment. "Um, probably killing myself and taking a holiday now that the war is over?"

Everyone takes a moment to let that sink in.

"When you were a pilot?" Mammon clarifies. "For World War 2?"

"They wouldn't let me resign," Skull explains quickly, looking between them all but mostly staring at Reborn. "Are you guys like…I mean, you're clearly Italian? I'm all for protecting the nation, yay France and whatever, but I'm bored of planes now."

Reborn walks inside the manor, dragging Skull by the hand, and shoves the stuntman down into a seat. Reborn places his hands on Skull's shoulders and leans in. "Skull. What year is it?"

"I don't understand the question," Skull admits.

Lal drags a hand down her face.

"So anyway," Skull muses. "I'm Skull DeMort but you seem to know that. Nice to meet you. I didn't know I had soulmates. And six of you too, I'm going to be busy."

Reborn sighs heavily and straightens up. "My name is Reborn, the World's Greatest Hitman. These people are…" he trails off, not knowing how to summarise what the Arcobaleno are in only a short sentence.

"Your lovers," Colonnello finishes, and gets elbowed by Lal.

"We're work colleagues," Lal says.

"Who occasionally fuck," Mammon adds on.

Skull looks them all over again, this time slower. "Nice."

"Thank you," Fon says happily.

"You're missing several decades of memories," Reborn explains. "And we're not soulmates. You have Cloud flames -the purple fire- and we're your territory."

None of them look happy when Reborn says territory.

Skull gets a flash of purple waves, people screaming, rainbow lights flickering out as Skull smothers them, forces himself inside, fills them up until he can feel them, feel their heartbeat, wipes the sticky flames from that other Cloud, the bitch, thinks she can take Skull's-

"I don't know what that means but I love you," Skull admits, dismissing the daydream. "You feel nice."

Reborn says nothing for a long moment, then turns to the others. "If we kill him again-"

"Probably nothing will happen," Verde answers. "It's not like this is normal, usually he dies and just restarts, I don't know why his memory is wiped."

"He did get killed with…a lot of detail," Fon offers. "Perhaps there's still brain trauma? I feel we should consult a professional doctor before essentially hotwiring him."

Reborn scoffs. "I am a professional in putting this idiot back together. Remember when he started mutating?"

Mammon makes a disgusted sound.

"Rude," Skull mutters. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"Skull, this is one of my students," Reborn introduces, patting Tsuna's fluffy hair.

The other Vongola Guardians are still sitting around the table after Reborn barged in on a meeting, because he's giving Skull a tour.

The Vongola Decimo only smiles, not minding the condescending gesture (or so used to it that Reborn doesn't even register). "Hi, Skull. I know you -or at least your…older self- so if you need any help, I'm here for you." Tsuna shrugs. "Basically, if Reborn tells you something, I can confirm if he's lying or not."

"I never lie," Reborn lies.

"Am I his lackey?" Skull asks because that doesn't sound like him but all the Arcobaleno agreed so Skull needs an outsider opinion.

"That's more of a nickname I think," Tsuna admits. "Reborn is such a diva he enjoys being waited on hand and foot. You especially spoil him too much and always play along."

Reborn scoffs. "Skull understands that I'm simply better than everyone, on every level."

Skull also now understands why he'd spoil this man because the smug arrogance is so adorable. "Yeah, you're the best, babe!"

Tsuna gives Skull a pitying look. "Reborn's only had you for a day and you're already too far gone."