Alright, this ended up being way longer than I previously planned and with way longer I mean about 4k words.
Skull has always been a favorite of mine and I especially enjoy stories where he is more than just some idiot. After some contemplation, I decided to try my hand at my own Skull-centric story. I wanted it to deal with his origins as well as an 'What-if' situation.
I'm not certain if I'm completely happy with the results, but I do hope that you will enjoy this one-shot. I've tried to not add to many OCs to it as well as not making it either too long or too short.
If you squint a little, you might find some hints of some Skull/Reborn here. Only a little though, I promise.
Please leave a review.
Summary: He never wanted to be a Sky. (Or: A detailed retelling of Skull's journey from an urchin on the Streets of Ukraine to an essential member of the last Arcobaleno.)
Have fun.
Unraveled
mask (n.) a covering for all or part of the face, worn as a disguise, or to amuse or frighten others
I.
It started like this:
They were in the park, climbing on the lower branches of a rather old oak tree. Cherep was laughing at something his brother had said when he felt one of the branches giving in underneath him.
The wood splintered and the six-years-old fell. His head collided painfully with the ground, skull shattering.
A mix of orange and purple flames enveloped his body.
He was running again only a few minutes later.
II.
Cherep was an orphan. This was not an unusual title only a decade after World War II.
He grew up in an Orphanage in Ukraine alongside his four years older brother.
Theirs was not an easy childhood.
III.
Even at a young age, the purple haired boy seemed to draw people towards himself. They found him to be charismatic and soothing and more often than not tried wining his favor.
When he still lived in the orphanage, that wasn't a bad thing. Cherep always got the biggest portions during dinner and rarely had to want for anything. If treats were available, he was the first one to receive them.
Almost unfairly, the orphanage patrons seemed to adore him.
This was just the beginning of his problems.
IV.
''Don't be silly, Cherep. You do remember what happened the last time you climbed a tree, don't you?'' asked his brother, his eyes narrowed slightly and mouth twitching in displeasure.
''That was an accident. It won't happen again,'' Cherep tried to assure. His palms were starting to sweat due to the look the other boy sent his way.
''No.'' Those words left no place for arguing. ''The matron has called us for dinner, so just come.''
Cherep hated how overprotective his brother could sometimes be.
Years later, he would come to realize that this was what being a Cloud Guardian meant.
V.
Viktor, his brother and only living family, had always been at Cherep's side.
When a young couple came to the orphanage with the intention to change that, the brothers rebelled loudly against it.
VI.
At the end, they had no other choice but to leave.
It was either that or being separated.
VII.
At nine and thirteen the two boys escaped onto the streets of Ukraine.
Back then they did not realize that being separated from each other wasn't the worst thing that could actually happen to them.
VIII.
Coldness. Fear. Hunger.
Those were only a few of the things they were forced to suffer through.
IX.
The streets were full of children like them; urchins who had no home and would do anything to survive. They formed small gangs and stole both food and money from unsuspecting citizens.
Within three weeks a new gang formed all around Cherep.
X.
There were six of them; five boys and one girl.
Together they learned to survive without the support of an adult and for a while they even managed to live.
XI.
''I can distract the vendor,'' said Irina, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around a finger. Alongside Cherep, she was the youngest member of their small group as well as the most spirited one.
There was a skeptical look in Viktor's eyes as he turned his gaze towards the girl. ''You do realize you will have to get him away from the stand for more than just a few seconds.''
The smile that slowly stretched across her face was positively demonic.
XII.
At the end, Irina picked a fight with a member of another gang and pushed him into the fruit vendor's stand, knocking over a crate full of apples in the process. Then she grabbed two of the rolling fruits from the ground and ran down the crowded sidewalk.
Quickly snapping out of their stunned stupor, the remaining five members of their gang moved out from their hiding place and grabbed as many of the fruits as they could. The vendor shouted loudly when he saw them, but they were already sprinting away by the time he moved in their direction.
That day was a good and prosperous one.
Such days were a rarity.
XIII.
Irina was the first one of them to die.
XIV.
Winter was a harsh and dangerous season.
It stole two of their members from them.
XV.
The coughs were the first indication. Then came the nausea and the headaches.
It was the fever that finally took Irina and Ivan from them.
XVI.
They cried. They mourned.
At the end, they had no other choice but to move on.
XVII.
When they were younger, only a few weeks after that fateful day during which Cherep was supposed to die for the first time, a bond was formed between the two brothers.
It happened over time and yet it felt as if it had always been there.
Cherep and Viktor weren't just brothers. They were each others best friends and only family.
And most importantly, the two boys were each others home.
XVIII.
People always noticed him. Cherep could not go anywhere without capturing everyone's attention.
That was rarely a good thing.
XIX.
''One day, we're all gonna be happy,'' said Viktor, his swollen eye squinting in Cherep's direction. They had gotten into a fight with another gang about their territories.
The only consolation Cherep had was that no matter how bad their small group looked, Viktor had made sure that their enemies suffered twice as much.
The purple haired boy did not think that he had ever seen his brother as angry as he was the moment they realized that the other children had broached upon their turf.
Vicious was not a strong enough word to describe Viktor's following actions.
Tilting his head to the side, Cherep took a hold of the other boy's hand. ''I'm happy now.''
They both knew that was lie.
XX.
Unknown men started following him.
XXI.
The boys knew about the mafia. Everyone in their position did.
Thus, they knew that the men following them belonged to a criminal organization. The tattoos adorning their bodies told them as much.
XXII.
They always managed to get away from their pursuers...
...
...until one day they didn't.
XXIII.
Cherep was thirteen years old when two man managed to successfully kidnap him.
He was also thirteen years old when he watched his brother die in his stead.
XXIV.
''Shut the fuck up, brat,'' hissed the man that had dragged him away from the lively streets just moments ago as he slammed Cherep against the brick wall of the alley. Vaguely, the boy registered that such situations seemed to be occurring more and more often.
Struggling against the harsh grip, Cherep rasped, ''Let go of me, you fucker.''
The insult would have made his brother proud, the boy knew this with a very clear certainty.
''You hear him, Yaroslav?'' His attacker laughed. ''He's telling me to let go of him.''
Cherep could see the mirth in the other man's eyes. Could see the exact moment that emotion changed into shock.
There wasn't enough time for the boy to register anything else. A violet blur slammed into the man who was holding him and a crack he nowadays associated with the breaking of bones followed.
The sound of a gun being fired reached Cherep's ears afterwards and tilted the axis of his entire world.
XXV.
His ears rang loudly and for an eternally long moment Cherep could not hear a thing.
With bile in his mouth and a painfully constricting heart, he turned to look at his brother.
The sight that greeted him would haunt his nightmares for many more years.
XXVI.
Blood dripped from the corners of Viktor's mouth as he pressed a hand against his wounded ribs and whispered, ''You need to leave Cherep. I need you to leave and live.''
Live? Cherep wondered how he could do that ever again after this. After seeing his brother's eyes glaze with death and feeling something vital snap within his chest.
It was akin to loosing a limb or an organ, while at the same time being thousand times worse.
A trembling hand was raised towards his chest, blunt nails scratching at the skin just over his heart.
(...Cherep never noticed the screams tearing out of his throat...
...
...and as his fingers dug themselves deeper and deeper into his own chest, trying to claw the pain out of it...
...
...
...the world exploded into a violent storm of orange Flames...)
XXVII.
After that day, the orange color disappeared completely from among his Flames.
XXVIII.
Cherep wandered the streets of his hometown for days, without even pausing for a second.
He did not drink, he did not eat, and he did not sleep.
That was just the beginning of everything.
XXIX.
A part of him knew that he should have returned to the remaining members of his small family. He knew that this wasn't what Viktor meant when he told him to live.
Cherep could not bring himself to care.
Aside from the hollow feeling his brother had left within him, the orphan did not care about anything.
XXX.
Mykyta first saw the boy when he was taking care of some errands for his boss. He had just parked his motorcycle and looked up from the machine when he saw the young lad stumbling down the street opposite of him.
The child was a sorry sight.
Dressed in dirty rags and pale as a ghost, he did not even seem to see the world around him.
(...that day, Mykyta had yet to realize that this boy would change his entire life...)
That child wasn't the first homeless orphan the man had ever seen and he did not seem to be in the worst physical state either.
Though, that was the point. While the boy was physically at his peak, he did not seem to be doing mentally all to well.
It would be many years later that Mykyta would realize how much of an understatement that actually was.
XXXI.
The second time Mykyta saw the strange child was while he was strolling trough the market. He was just about to buy some peaches when a loud commotion caught his attention.
An unknown man was shouting loud obscenities, one of his hands gripping the purple haired boy's shoulder tightly while the other one pointed at a sandwich on the ground.
Somehow, making a decision turned out to be easier than Mykyta ever expected.
XXXII.
He stopped the man from shacking the poor child by taking a hold of his shoulder. The action seemed to surprise the other adult to such an extent that he actually looked up at Mykyta and stared at him with wide eyes for a moment. ''What do you want?''
Mykyta tilted his head to the side and regarded the stranger rather disdainfully. ''For you to let go of the boy. He clearly has no money to pay you back.''
''Then he should have watched where he was going,'' uttered the man while scowl developed on his face.
Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Mykyta reached inside his jacket and pulled out a few coins. ''That should cover it. Now, once again, let the child go.''
With a sneer on his face, the stranger took the money from Mykyta and then pushed the boy into the stuntman's legs. He turned and left before the circus member could comment on his rudeness.
The sky was rather cloudy when Mykyta looked up at it as if to ask some higher deity about what he had done to deserve such a treatment. As no one actually deigned to answer his silent question, the man decided to look down again and regard what he the about twelve-year-old he had chosen to take under his wing. ''Now, what the hell am I gonna do with you?''
XXXIII.
It turned out that he could nothing but take the boy home with him. The whole thing should have been way harder to complete than it actually was as Mykyta was essentially kidnapping a child.
Regrettably, no one actually seemed to care about what would happen to an unknown orphan and neither did the child himself. He showed no resistance when Mykyta took a hold of his hand and started walking him towards his motorcycle.
The drive home was a nerve-wrecking one. Mykyta constantly had to fear that the young fellow would just listlessly slide of his motorcycle in the middle of the road. Some deity seemed to take pity on him though, because the child stayed glued to the seat.
Their arrival at the circus did not attract too much attention as most performers were busy with preparing themselves for their upcoming departure.
Gently, Mykyta picked the boy up into his arms and carried him towards the travel trailer that was his home.
There he sat him down at his small kitchenette table and put a glass of water and some cookies in front of him.
None of this prompted a reaction from the child.
XXXIV.
It took him three weeks to get just a name out of the kid. More than once the thought that his new roommate wasn't mentally sound had crossed the man's mind, so he ended up being actually surprised when one morning during breakfast an unfamiliar voice uttered one word. ''Cherep.''
Mykyta needed a few minutes to put one and one together and realize that the boy wasn't speaking about some skull but telling him his name.
The small progress made him smile. ''It's nice to meet you, Cherep.''
XXXV.
Cherep did everything he told him to do with a mechanic listlessness that frightened Mykyta. His violet eyes were dead, as if they had seen the worst the world had to offer and could not survive that strain.
It were mostly those eyes as well as the boy's behavior that made Mykyta constantly question what had happened to the child.
XXXVI.
They traveled through Romania, Hungary and Austria and Mykyta did his best to show the young fellow only the good sides of each country. He directed him through street markets and pointed out the most marvelous of landscapes.
Nothing managed to bring Cherep out of his shell.
XXXVII.
''You should try some of the soup. It's Yu's specialty,'' said Mykyta kindly as he prepared a table for himself and Cherep.
He was not surprised to see the boy doing just as he was asked to only a few minutes later, the expression on his face not even changing a bit once the rich flavor of the soup hit his tongue.
XXXVIII.
Once one of his fellow circus members asked him why he was 'wasting his time on such a retard'.
Mykyta relished breaking the man's nose.
XXXIX.
A change occurred when they reached Slovenia.
It was there that Cherep witnessed one of his performances for the first time.
XL.
Purple eyes alight with curiosity. Mouth agape and showing a row of white teeth.
It was a sight Mykyta would never forget.
XLI.
''Can you teach me?''
XLII.
The second thing Cherep ever said to him was a raspy request.
Mykyta did not think that he could have denied it even if he had wanted to.
XLIII.
Teaching someone how to be a stuntman wasn't easy. Teaching a child was in some ways even harder.
XLIV.
Cherep had never seen something as intriguing as Mykyta during one of his shows. The man seemed to be flying through the air with a careless abandon as if nothing but himself and the machine underneath him existed.
The Cloud wanted that for himself. Even if just for an infinitely short moment, Cherep wanted to forget everything.
XLV.
At first Mykyta send him to the acrobatics lessons. He told Cherep that he needed to train his body until it was strong enough to carry the burden of being a stuntman.
That was a disappointment that racked Cherep more than anything else had in months, and yet the promise of freedom the future held stopped him from uttering the smallest complain.
XLVI.
Cherep trained.
He trained and some days that might have been the only thing he would have done if it were not for his caretakers interference.
Mykyta took care of him and as the years passed, Cherep's heart started piecing itself together.
XLVII.
None of his training injuries lasted for more than an hour.
XLVIII.
On his fifteenth birthday, Cherep was allowed to ride Mykyta's motorbike for the first time.
He was excited and too eager when he started the engine, so it wasn't shocking at all when he immediately caused an accident.
XLIX.
By now, seeing his injuries knitting themselves back together was not a shocking sight.
Mykyta's expression indicated that it should have been.
L.
Hidden underneath a too large jacket, Cherep was carried towards his living quarters.
Inside, Mykyta forbid him ever showing anyone what he could do.
LI.
He had never felt as alive as he had while speeding down the street on Mykyta's motorcycle.
LII.
Once it was proven that Cherep did not suffer any trauma due to his impromptu accident, Mykyta started properly teaching him his profession.
It was during one late evening that the middle aged man taught him his most important lesson.
''You've gotta smile, Cherep, be a showman, otherwise the people won't like you.''
LIII.
Later that night, Cherep stood in front of the mirror, training the unused muscles of his face.
He smiled and laughed as many times as it was necessary for the expressions to appear at least somewhat genuine.
LIV.
In the following years, Cherep created his stage persona.
He decided to name him Skull de Mort.
LV.
The years passed in a blur and Cherep started gradually taking over his aging mentor's shows as Skull de Mort, The Immortal Stuntman.
LVI.
Somewhere along the line, being Skull became easier and Cherep practically ceased to exist.
LVII.
He never stopped missing his brother.
LVIII.
''Welcome the great Skull de Mort,'' the moderator paused dramatically. ''The man hated by the grim reaper himself!''
High on the ramp, Skull came into view, his face painted a deathly white with purple accents. He waved his hands in a exaggerated manner and blew some kissed towards the audience.
Carelessly, he stumbled towards the edge of the ramp, barely catching himself at the last second.
Moments later, he was speeding down the ramp and jumping into the air. A handstand on the seat of the motorcycle and a back-flip later, the stuntman landed safely on the ground.
Hidden among the audience, Mykyta watched the teen that was like a son to him with sad eyes and wondered when the last time Cherep had been true to himself actually was.
LIX.
The difference between Skull and Cherep was truly jarring.
LX.
Skull soon becoming an international sensation was no surprise.
The fact that his fame came at the price losing himself more and more in the persona he had created was just an unfortunate side effect.
LXI.
(...The Mafia never did leave him alone...
...
...it was a fortunate thing that Skull had nothing against getting rid of them...
...
...
...he did so even with a wide smile on his face...)
LXII.
With his fame came a man wearing an iron hat and a dangerous proposition.
LXIII.
I Prescelti Sette
LXIV.
Contrary to what would once be a popular belief, Skull was not stupid. He knew that whatever the stranger was telling him could not be the truth.
Kawahira was not even trying to hide the trap he was setting for the supposed 'Chosen Seven'. The man tried to entice him with titles such 'The World's Strongest Cloud', not even realizing that such a title held no meaning to him.
Still, Skull's interest was awakened.
For all that the stranger's promises did not interest the stuntman, his knowledge did the exact opposite.
Kawahira clearly knew what Skull was. He knew of the flames that made him practically immortal and that was something the young adult always wanted to learn more about.
The fact that this stranger clearly wanted to harm him wasn't enough to actually stop Skull from accepting his proposition.
After all, what could Kawahira do to him that Skull already hadn't done to himself?
LXV.
Cherep needed to know what exactly his brother had died for.
LXVI.
''You need to stop this, Cherep,'' uttered Mykyta as he watched the other stuntman apply his daily makeup.
The younger man looked at him with hooded eyes, a mocking grin stretched upon his purple lips. ''Don't worry, I'll get out of your hair soon.''
Taken aback, Mykyta narrowed his eyes. ''First, changing the topic won't make the problem disappear. Second, what exactly do you mean?''
''I've received a very enticing job offer. It's...well-payed and rather intriguing.'' He paused. ''I'll be leaving in two weeks.''
''You'll be leaving? Just like that?'' the older man questioned disbelievingly.
Skull blinked. ''Yes.''
''And you think that's normal or even just the slightest bit alright?'' Anger slowly colored his voice.
''I'm not a child anymore and neither have you ever been my legal guardian, so I don't really need your permission,'' explained the young adult calmly, his eyes flickering discretely over Mykyta's form.
(...he ignored the guilt blooming within his chest expertly...
...
...Skull had known that he would have to leave the circus soon to get away from Mykyta and the man in the iron hat had offered him the perfect excuse...
...
...
...the Cloud just could not risk staying at the other man's side for much longer...
...
...
...not with the emotional power Mykyta actually held over him...
...
...not when he was the only person in the world that could still steer him away from his chosen path...)
''I see,'' was the bitter reply Skull received. He knew that this wasn't the end of their conversation, just as he knew that he could not let himself be swayed by his guardian's words.
LXVII.
He performed his last show in Austria.
Had he known that this would be his last show decades, then Skull might have taken some time to reconsider his decision.
LXVIII.
Italy was the country where he was to receive further instructions.
It was also where the axis of his entire world shifted once again.
LXIX.
They met in a mansion in the middle of nowhere. A group of the supposedly most powerful people in the world.
Skull could feel them calling out to him before he even came into the vicinity of the giant mansion.
It was like nothing he had ever felt before. There were times, of course, when he had felt a certain tug on his soul, but it never managed to actually be worthy.
(...there had been one person who had been worthy before...
...
...the same person died for him more than a decade ago...)
Skull was forced to stop his motorcycle or he might have caused an accident otherwise. His hands trembled terribly as something he had thought to be dead awakened within his chest.
Sparks of orange danced across his fingers and a strangled cry escaped the stuntman as he tried to force them away.
A few minutes passed until he managed to smoother them with his purple soulfire.
LXX.
It turned out that he was the last one to arrive at the meeting place. The others were already gathered around a large mahogany table in what had to be the living room.
Breath hitching, Skull felt the mask upon his face slowly slipping away. The calling was impossibly intense in such a close vicinity and seemed to spur the fiery monster within his chest. It clawed at his insides, trying to force its freedom.
With a great effort he trapped the orange flames within himself and rearranged the mask upon his face.
Smile back in place, Skull announced his presence grandly, ''The great Skull de Mort has finally arrived. Bow before his greatness!''
Hiding his true feelings behind the persona of a bumbling idiot was by now a very familiar action. If this made everyone underestimate and dislike him, then Skull just saw it as a pleasant benefit.
After all, it kept them from getting too close to him and seeing who Skull truly was.
LXXI.
Reborn. Fon. Viper. Verde. Lal.
(...his entire world...)
LXXII.
''A civilian?'' asked Reborn after Skull introduced himself as 'The World's Greatest Stuntman'. The disbelieve in his voice was loud and clear. ''Are you joking?''
Irritated, Skull watched the Italian's gaze move to the woman who was meant to be their leader. It might have been irrational, but the stuntman felt rather threatened each time the other's attention moved towards Luce.
That was not where his gaze was meant to be.
Prompted by his instincts, Skull flailed his arms in all directions to regain the other man's attention. ''Don't dismiss the fantastic Skull, the Man whom even the grim reaper fears!''
''The grim reaper, huh?'' Reborn pointed his gun at the purplehead. ''You sure of that?''
Before Skull could utter a reply, the Sun fired his gun. The shot echoed loudly throughout the room and managed to graze his cheek. Had Skull not jumped out of the way, then the bullet would have gone straight through his head.
''What the...,'' uttered Skull quietly and was quickly interrupted by Luce. ''That's enough, Reborn. Skull may be a civilian, but he is also a Cloud.''
That actually seemed to make the hitman pause for a moment. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly and moved towards the wound on the biker's cheek.
Only blood remained where an injury had once been.
LXXIII.
They were more accepting of his presence afterwards, but they still did not trust him to do anything more important than driving the escape vehicle.
Fortunately, that was something Skull had long since down to an art form.
LXXIV.
The missions became bloodier with each passing day. It was clear that his teammates expected him to falter due to this very fact.
They were surprised to see him go on without an ounce of hesitation.
(...Cherep had witnessed the cruelty of this world...
...
...and he knew better than most that sometimes violence was the only possible answer...)
LXXV.
It took him a few weeks and some well-placed bribes to find out more about this new world he had found himself in.
Viper turned out to be a very good source when offered the right amount of money.
LXXVI.
A Sky, he was a Sky.
LXXVII.
He didn't know when exactly it happened, but someday Reborn started calling him 'lackey'.
LXXVIII.
Informants could rarely be fully trusted, that was a lesson Skull was forced to learn very quickly.
LXXIX.
''Something's wrong,'' murmured Skull as he watched the entrance to their current target's home. The oak doors were closed, keeping the sound inside from reaching either Skull or Verde. ''They should be finished by now, the Great Skull-sama is sure.''
Verde snorted disdainfully. ''There's nothing we can do. If they're in trouble, then they have to get out of it by themselves.''
Silence followed that statement and Skull contemplated what he should do.
(...there was only ever really one option...)
The supposed Cloud unbuckled his belt. ''I'm going in. It's obvious that they need this Great One's saving.''
Something akin to a laugh escaped Verde's lips. ''Do whatever makes you happy. Should you die, I'll make sure to study your body thoroughly.''
Childishly, Skull stuck out his tongue towards him.
LXXX.
The whole scene changed the moment the stuntman entered the mansion. Shouts and the loud sound of guns being fired overwhelmed him for a second and it took him an eternally long moment to figure out what was actually going on.
A Mist, a Mist must have been cloaking the mansion from the outside to keep any reinforcement from arriving.
These were worrying news for two reasons. One, their informant had not told them about this threat, which meant that he either he had betrayed and led them into a trap or he had not known about it. Second, for a Mist to successfully cloud their senses Viper had to have been taken down.
(...something angry flared within his chest...)
A bullet embedding itself within his shoulder jarred Skull out of his thoughts. Purple Flames flared angrily all around him and before anyone truly knew what was happening, a Cloud had already entered the fray.
LXXXI.
Reborn was a very rational man, capable of controlling himself and his emotions in any given situation.
And yet, all this rationality seemed to disappear when Skull de Mort got involved. The other man irritated him in such measures that Reborn actually felt the need to throttle the idiot until...until...well, until something.
He didn't even really know what truly bothered him so much about the Cloud. Sure, he was a civilian and had no true place in mafia, but that still did not illuminate Reborn's irrational urges towards his teammate.
The best explanation the Sun got was that there just seemed to be something out of his grasp.
And no, not even he himself knew what that was actually supposed to mean.
Still, there were a few things Reborn had come to realize about the supposed immortal in the last few weeks of them working to together, the most important of them being that he could never afford to underestimate the other man.
After all, it took a very special kind of person to be capable of killing a man with their bare hands and giant grin on their face.
LXXXII.
They all came out of the whole ordeal with slightly bruised egos and some scratches on their bodies.
Even Viper ended up being no further injured than a slight concussion due to a hard hit to the back of their head.
The contentment that filled Skull due to those facts scared the man witless.
LXXXIII.
He was getting attached.
LXXXIV.
Luce believed in the concept of team bonding. That was why she forced their whole group to partake in weekly meals.
Together, they all sat at the huge mahogany table in the living room at least once a week, eating and bickering all the while.
More often than not those meals ended in an argument or a one-sided fight between Skull and Reborn.
Though to be fair, the stuntman was rarely completely without a fault. He baited Reborn with his actions - just last week he had exchanged all the sugar in the mansion with salt, thus destroying the one thing Reborn religiously enjoyed in the morning - waiting for the upcoming reaction with a giddy feeling in his stomach and a bitter taste in his mouth.
(...he had to have their attention...
...
...it needed to be on him all of the time, never straying to another viable candidate...
...
...
...whether this attention was positive or negative did not matter at the end. As long as Skull was the sole center of their universe, nothing mattered...)
LXXXV.
Skull liked spending some quiet evenings with Fon. The Chinese man was the calmest member of their group, while at the same time being the one with most dangerous temper.
There was almost nothing in the world that could transform the Triad member into the raging Storm that he really was, but when such an event actually occurred, there was nothing anyone could but run for cover.
That was something both men shared with each other.
Within each of their souls a monster lurked, just waiting to be unleashed on the poor and unsuspecting world.
LXXXVI.
''Nee, Fon, you think you could teach Skull some of your awesome karate?'' questioned the purple haired male.
Blinking serenely, Fon took a sip of his tea. ''It's not karate.''
''Not-karate would be fine as well.'' The purplehead grinned.
This time, the expression on the martial artist's conveyed exactly what he thought about Skull's intelligence. ''I shouldn't teach you anything alone for the disrespect you show towards my profession.''
Still, he did the exact opposite. Once a week, Fon started giving the other man some basic self-defense lessons.
(...no teammate of his was allowed to be weak...)
LXXXVII.
Many more missions followed.
LXXXVIII.
They all fell into a routine.
Living in house with what most would consider to be strangers should not have been as easy as it was, especially when one considered that they were all practically professional killers.
And yet, there was a certain camaraderie in all of their interactions that none of them could ignore.
That, of course, did not stop them from being paranoid bastards, but the feeling in and of itself was rather nice.
LXXXIX.
Each and every single one of them had their own quirks and lines that could not be crossed around them.
Skull learned and studied them all religiously.
XC.
He neither liked nor disliked Luce. It was just that something about the woman seemed to rub him the wrong way.
Perhaps it was that she was the only bound member of their team. Or it might have also been the way she so carelessly endangered her unborn child's life. Maybe it was even just jealousy for everything the other Sky had and Skull never would.
Still, whatever the reason was, the showman did not trust Luce.
She was an unknown danger, one Skull was certain would one day prove detrimental.
XCI.
''Your place will never be at another Sky's side.''
XCII.
''You know that it's the state of your Flames that prompts most of their action, don't you?'' Luce asked one late evening as they sat alone on the couch inside the living room.
Skull hummed, his answer neither a denial nor agreement.
''They will always feel drawn to you, while at the same time constantly feeling something akin to rejection.'' The woman paused thoughtfully. ''It's not comparable to a full blown Sky rejection, but still rather damaging in the great scale of things.''
His smile resembled a grimace. ''It's a good thing then that I'm not a Sky.''
XCIII.
He never asked for his Flames...
...
...never wanted to be a Sky.
XCIV.
Reborn needed at least one cup of coffee in the morning to function properly during the day. An espresso with exactly one teaspoon of sugar.
Viper loved her strawberry milk almost as much as they loved getting their hands on new secrets.
Verde, if not properly watched, could spend days inside his lab, without any sleep or proper food.
Lal had a certain quirk whenever something irritated her severely. Her brow would twitch in the funniest of ways and Skull always had to restrain himself from laughing out loud.
Fon was secretly a fan of pop music, though he did his best to hide it from the entire world.
Those were all information Skull gathered and hoarded jealously.
XCV.
One of their missions ended up being an infiltration.
His whole team was surprised to witness Skull acting like a perfect aristocrat. The difference between this man before them and whom they thought the Cloud truly was ended up being incredibly shocking.
XCVI.
Deep down all of them were aware that the Skull they knew was just a lie.
XCVII.
They all became complacent during the time they spent together. While at first their guards had been raised, they stopped paying as much attention as they should have to their whole situation after a few months.
(...they started trusting each other...
...
...and perhaps that was what truly ended up being their downfall that fated day...)
While they knew that this whole scheme was just a trap, they did not expect to be betrayed by one of their.
And that was their biggest mistake.
XCVIII.
''I've just received our next mission details,'' said Luce before she informed them of the exact location of that mission.
By now, none of them questioned the weirdness of some of their hits.
XCIX.
They climbed the mountain just as planned, entered the described clearing and were unexpectedly blinded by a light appearing out of nowhere.
Nothing was ever the same again.
C.
Hindsight, as people liked to say, was 20/20.
Despite all their weird missions - they once even had to rob a candy factory of all its sweets - they should have known that there was something seriously wrong with their current assignment.
For one, its location was literary in the middle of nowhere. Second, the information they previously received was even more scarce than usually. And third, Luce had never directly accompanied them on a mission before.
Those were all points that should have rung some bells for them.
And now due to their stupidity, Skull realized as he stared at his tiny hands, they would pay the prize for their own actions.
CI.
There was a tiny octopus in front of him. It had appeared with the cursing light.
Taking the little guy into his infant arms, Skull decided numbly to name him Oodako.
CII.
Their animal companions weren't the only ones to appear that day. While the bright light slowly ceased to blind their eyes, a blonde man, now infant, came into view.
Despite the shock and panic that had overcome Skull, his Flames writhed happily within him at the sight of his last missing piece.
CIII.
All of them went back to what they now knew to be the Arcobaleno mansion. There, it did not take them long to figure out Luce's involvement in their current ordeal and consecutive betrayal.
She was promptly thrown out of their home.
It hurt Skull to see how much this woman's betrayal pained his teammates.
Actually, just about now, everything hurt.
With their plan, Luce and Checkerface had taken and destroyed all of their futures. From this day on, they would all be trapped in the bodies of toddlers until they died.
Romantic relationships, having children and following most of their dreams had now become an impossibility.
Skull would never drive a motorcycle again. Never perform before a crowd.
(...a small voice in the back of his mind couldn't help questioning who Skull de Mort was without his biggest passion...
...
...the answer to that was as easy as it was painful...
...
...
...without his talent, he was just little, broken Cherep, the urchin from the streets of Ukraine and the boy who had failed his own brother...)
CIV.
Most of them just stayed in their rooms at first, trying to deal with this tragedy on their own.
(...it took Skull several days to reconstruct his mask...)
By the time some of them were ready for a little socializing, three weeks had already passed.
Awkward wasn't a strong enough word to describe their current physical constitution.
It was hard to move, let alone take care of the most basic human needs, with their suddenly too short limbs. Their speech and in some ways perception were impaired as well.
In any other situation, Skull might have found the fact that Reborn could not even pronounce 'Ciao' properly funny. Instead, hearing this, the stuntman only felt like crying.
(...in some ways, Reborn had always been his favorite...)
CV.
Out of Reborn's room, loud sounds of destruction could be heard. The bang of a gun and the shattering of glass followed.
His anger was endless.
CVI.
One day, during a now rare mealtime they all chose to attend, Lal finally properly introduced her companion to her team.
''This is Colonello, my stupid student.''
For the first time in weeks Skull felt some warmth in form of awe in his chest.
He could not help thinking that he had probably never seen something as wonderful as this pair of Twin Flames before him.
CVII.
They spent a few more weeks together, adjusting to their new lives alongside each other.
Within a short time Skull became the recipient of not only Reborn's but also Colonello's anger.
He accepted all their insults and actions against him with open arms.
Like this they at least had someone besides themselves to direct their anger and sometimes even hatred on.
(...he needed to take care of them, shelter them in every way possible...)
CVIII.
They all parted their ways soon.
CIX.
Alone, there was nothing as hellish as being alone.
CX.
Skull traveled all over the world for some time. He went from one country to another, always making sure to stay out of sight as well as out of earshot. It became very clear early on that the mafia was hunting him.
Everyone wanted to have one of the Arcobaleno as a member of their Famiglia. The supposed strength of the I Prescelti Sette could make even the most powerful mafia boss salivate with greed.
No one really cared about the Cloud Arcobaleno being just a civilian. No one cared about the tragedy that had befallen their group.
What everyone did care about was power.
And for all that Skull de Mort was just a civilian, there was no denying that he had power.
CXI.
It was a fortunate thing that during their time together, Reborn had taken it upon himself to teach Skull Italian.
CXII.
The world kept changing, but they all stayed the same.
CXIII.
Unsurprisingly, he could not stay away from everyone for too long.
The only startling thing was that Verde ended up being the first person Skull decided to seek out.
CXIV.
This place is a mess, was the first thought that came to Skull's mind once he entered Verde's lab.
He had had to be extremely sneaky to pass by the Lightning's bodyguards without detection and it was only due to his small size and agility that he managed to escape the more mechanical traps this place had to offer.
''When was the last time you slept?'' asked the stuntman once he managed to locate his...teammate.
It took Verde a very long moment to look up from his notes. ''Sleep is for the weak. I have no time for it if I want to get something done.''
''Skull thinks that a few hours of sleep would do you good,'' the Cloud said, pouting theatrically to emphasize his statement.
''And I think that this is none of your business.'' Was the only answer he received.
It wasn't pleasant to watch the other man turn his back on him, but that did not stop Skull from procuring something to eat and drink for the other. Neither did it hinder him from laying a warm and fluffy blanket on Verde's shoulder once his exhaustion finally caught up to him and he fell asleep on his desk.
(...if, as a thank you for his actions, Verde presented him with a motorcycle that could be driven by someone of their current size during his next visit, then no one actually dared to point it out...)
CXV.
His life continued just like that. One after another, Skull would visit his fellow Arcobaleno, be it to just drink some tea with Fon or pretend to attack Mafia Land and thus spent some time with Colonello.
(...he could not stand the fact that they were always apart...)
Years passed like this and before Skull realized it, he suddenly knew the meaning of walking out of time.
The world advanced and people they once knew grew old.
It was only accidentally that Skull found out that his guardian had died. By that time, Mykyta had been already buried for two years.
(...that night, Cherep wept...)
CXVI.
Although their bodies did not change, their personalities did.
As their hope for a normal life started to dwindle and acceptance slowly grew, all the Arcobeleno started to grow and live again.
CXVII.
Aria was born and Luce died.
Then Yuni was born and Aria died.
Skull did not care either way.
CXVIII.
Watching Reborn turned into one of his favorite activities.
It was incredible who this man turned out to be. After slowly coming to accept their fate, the hitman started to make the best of the life he had. He continued to pursue his title of the World's Greatest Hitman and also focused on learning as much as he could about their world. Somewhere along the way Reborn discovered his passion for teaching others.
Skull could not help the warmth that filled his chest each time he saw that proud expression on Reborn's face when one of his students did something right.
(...even if he had wanted to, Skull would not have been capable of keeping his eyes from him...)
CXIX.
The world kept on turning.
Mafia families tried to recruit him.
It was through an accident that he became the boss of the Carcassa Famiglia.
CXX.
''How should Skull have known that killing that guy would automatically make him into the next Carcassa Don?'' inquired the Cloud while flailing his arms.
Viper stared at him from behind their hood. ''Through common logic? The man had no heirs, which meant that his position would be inherited through the right of conquest.''
Skull could only stare dumbly.
CXXI.
Only a few years later, Viper found themselves a Sky.
The agony Skull felt when he found out this fact came second only to his brother's death.
CXXII.
A whole Mafia family ceased to exist the night Skull found out about Viper's and Xanxus' bond.
CXXIII.
Sawada Tsunayoshi entered their lives soon after.
CXXIV.
It was funny how sometimes the seemingly most insignificant person could change the entire world.
CXXV.
The Future happened.
The Representative Battle occurred
Their curse ended up being broken.
Life continued.
CXXVI.
Growing up anew, even if at an accelerated pace, forced Skull to remember many unpleasant events.
Still, spending time with all of the Arcobaleno again made up for everything.
CXXVII.
It was a mistake that put Skull's biggest secret in jeopardy.
CXXVIII.
Five years after the breaking of the Arcobaleno curse, the once infants finally reached their original age.
In celebration the Vongola Famiglia threw a party for them all.
The most important figureheads of their world were in attendance, among them many Skies in search for Guardians.
It was only natural that they all swarmed around the previous Arcobaleno.
Skull could not stand it.
CXXIX.
After losing Viper, something within Skull had snapped.
CXXX.
The last straw was a female Sky that tried to attract Reborn through seduction, her Flames brushing almost aggressively against the man's skin.
A bright and all-encompassing anger flooded Skull's entire body. The constraints holding his Flames back snapped just for a second.
Sky Flames more powerful even than those of Yuni or Tsuna flooded the whole ballroom.
They forced the unknown Sky's Flames away from Reborn and brushed inadvertently against the Sun.
In the last moment, Skull managed to pull away.
By that time, it was already too late for Reborn.
CXXXI.
A hush went over the whole room as the woman, Cordelia or such something stumbled away from him.
Normally, Reborn would have at least tried to catch her. Tried to keep his gentlemanly facade from crumbling.
He could not care less about any of that right now, not when for the first time in his life he felt what a true Sky Attraction was supposed to be like.
Almost frantically, his eyes searched for the source of this wonder as he felt the Flames brush one last time against his own. He tried to grab them and keep them in place, instinctively trying to form a bond the Sky clearly did not wish to give him.
(...something within his very soul howled in rage...)
A few weeks later, Reborn would curse himself for his ignorance.
For in his mad search for his Sky, he did not notice him leaving the room.
He did not notice Skull practically running away from him.
CXXXII.
Skull expected the Arcobaleno to give up their search for him within days. He was surprised to see Lal being the first member of the previous Arcobaleno to move on with her normal life after a week. She was then followed by Colonello. Afterwards came Verde and lastly Fon.
Reborn did not give up.
Even three weeks later the man was still going over the list of people in attendance during the celebration, trying to find the most likely one to be this unknown Sky.
It was mad, the way he exhausted himself day in and day out, but it did not surprise Skull at all.
After all, he had always been the most drawn to Reborn as well. The Sun Arcobaleno had always been the biggest danger to his restraint, calling Skull's Sky Flames to the surface each and every single time he just entered the room.
Cherep had always wanted Reborn the most.
CXXXIII.
A week passed, then two and three. At the one month mark, Skull wasn't the only one seriously worried about Reborn.
To help his tutor, Tsunayoshi even got involved.
They couldn't find anything, of course.
This did not make Skull feel as relieved as it should have.
CXXXIV.
''You should get some sleep, Reborn-senpai,'' exclaimed the stuntman as he watched Reborn looking over another set of documents.
The only answer he received was a dark glower.
CXXXV.
''I made you some coffee, Reborn.'' This time it was Tsuna trying to get through to the Sun.
The answer wasn't all that different.
CXXXVI.
Over the next few weeks, those closest to Reborn tried to get him to give up on his obsession.
They were met with more aggressive responses each day.
CXXXVII.
Something needed to be done.
Unfortunately, Skull was the only one with a real solution.
CXXXVIII.
It was funny, the way Skull had always feared revealing his secret and yet found himself to be completely calm once the time actually came.
He decided to seek Reborn out in the gardens of the Vongola mansion, stopping a few meters behind him to observe the man's profile in descending sun.
It took him a while to gather enough courage to step forward and even longer to start speaking.
''I had a brother once,'' Cherep whispered over the wind. ''He was a Cloud.''
Whether it was the unusual tone of voice the young man used or that this was the first time he had not referred to himself in third person in Reborn's presence, something about his demeanor clearly caught the Sun's attention.
The Italian angled his body in Cherep's direction, a question already clear on his lips.
A hand gently pressed against his chest stopped him from saying anything.
For a second both men stared at the appendage. It was only when purple Flames started dancing across it that Reborn flinched backwards. He was stopped by the hand grabbing a tight hold of his shirt.
''It's alright,'' Cherep murmured. ''I'm sorry.''
Whatever might have come out of Reborn's mouth next was stopped by the loud gasp that escaped his lips the moment he saw the soft flickers of orange on the back of his fellow Arcobaleno's hand.
Instinctively, his hand flew upwards and took a tight hold of Skull's.
And as the Sky and the Sun met a bond immediately snapped into place.
''Oh.''
CXXXIX.
''You're a Sky,'' Reborn uttered once the delirious feeling of Harmonization subsided slightly, his voice tinged not only with disbelieve but also awe.
There was no real response from Skull, whose head had fallen forward heavily and was now leaning against Reborn's shoulder.
''You...'' The Sun tried again. ''How?''
''Viktor wasn't just a Cloud.'' the stuntman paused and took a deep breath, preparing himself to tell a truth he had never spoken aloud. ''He was mine. My first and only Guardian up until now.''
Silently, Reborn contemplated this statement. It did not take a genius to notice Skull's specific use of the past tense. Neither did one need much to figure out what this meant.
There was a reason why so very few Elements had a Sky and it wasn't only because there were so few Skies as a whole. The bearers of the Orange Flames depended heavily on their Guardians. They needed them not only for their own protection but also balance.
Most often, it took a Sky only a few months to find a whole set of Guardians. They guarded them jealously and did not hesitate to eliminate any threat towards them.
It was not unheard of for a Sky to go crazy due to the loss of too many Guardians.
(...'too many' wasn't a set number...
...
...it could span from as much as just one to a whole set of six...)
His hands tightened around Skull's shoulders - when had he put them around the other man? - and Reborn exhaled slowly.
For the first time since they met, Reborn realized that he had no idea who the hell Skull de Mort actually was.
CXL.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
CXLI.
Hiding this development from the rest of their team was impossible.
As such, Skull soon found himself almost a whole set of Guardians.
CXLII.
''I'm sorry, Viper.''
CXLIII.
The hood did not shift off Viper's face. Xanxus stood stoically at their side.
For a moment a fight seemed imminent between the two present Skies.
Before anything could happen, Viper, despite Xanxus' clear displeasure, stated, ''I could have been yours.''
''I know.'' Cherep had to swallow harshly. ''I doubt that it will make you feel better, but losing you will always be one of my biggest regrets.''
There was nothing anyone could truly say to that.
CXLIV
He never even tried to find a Mist or Cloud Guardian.
No one could ever replace those he had already lost.
CXLV.
Sky Flames saturated the air, announcing his presence to the whole world way before he even entered the room.
His Guardians were at his side once the large doors to the banquette room opened and all of its occupants were left speechless when they saw the truth unfolding before them.
CXLVI.
And just like that one of the biggest secrets of their world was revealed and the whole mafia ended up being shocked because Skull de Mort, the Cloud Arcobaleno, was actually a Sky.