They were stunned.
How could they not be?
Bermuda Van Veckenstein had just impaled Skull - his hand going straight through his face!!
Skull was thrown aback from the impact, falling past them as they watched him tumble and his limbs crash about every which way with a damp crash.
The hole in his head was a gruesome and gorey sight.
The majority of the younger participants had to look away because it was hard to stomach - Enma looked close to hyperventilating if not for Adelheid keeping him steady.
They waited...
And waited....
And waited what felt like 5 min but was actually 30 seconds at best.
Nothing happened.
No movement. No groaning.
No pained wheezing (How even when he didn't have a face and airconducts to breathe with anymore?). Nothing but the limp form of the Cloud Arcobaleno.
He was... There was no hope, they knew that now. Growing a face back might've been possible for Verde, but with the extent of damage on his nervous system and in the previous battle....
If anything he was sure to be brain dead after all that.
They'd lost an Arcobaleno already.
If they lost as well... It was over.
They couldn't give up. They were not gonna loose.
They threw themselves into the fight, pushing and thought or notion of him to the back of their mind, besides to note how fast Bermuda had struck him with.
...
...
...
....
Tsuna had gone one on one with Bermuda, body in full HDWM.
A nigh-impossible feat.
Bermuda had given up.
Tsuna proposed a different solution when Kawahira appeared.
Talbolt came.
But what they didn't know is that he's helped them already. One of his assistants was dragging a body.
Skull's mutilated body.
They - Tsuna, Enma, the Arcos - twitched at the sight of it.
The body was let down just as Talbot began explaining his invention. They were on board with trying it out.
They, as best as they were able to, stood and held hands, pushing their Dying Will Flames into the apparatus.
It was, out of context, a beautiful sight of multiple colored flames. The amount was immense, so much so, that the pressure reached that not participating: the Vindice, Kawahira and Talbolt's group.
"Ugh...Krgh!"
They were so enraptured in their mission, they didn't pay attention to their surroundings, nor the shadow that came closer and closer until it was right behind Enma.
They noticed only after another Flame signature joined them.
A brilliant purple, a rich color of high purity and density joined their own flames. At first, it was so strong that, when swaying, pushed theirs aside.
"VOI! KEEP YOUR CRAP TO YOURselF-" Squalo's voice cracked, clearly from more than just shock. There was horror mixed in, which is saying something from Varia's second-in-command and Captain of their Rain Squads.
He was looking at the source of those Cloud Flames and, as they followed his line of sight, where the sensation and pulse of the flames, they found it as well.
It was close to the ground and standing in-between Enma's shoulder-width open footing which he used for balancing.
"..."
It was small, purple and empty.
They thought they were hallucinating from flame exhaustion approaching them.
And yet horror rippled through them with cold clarity.
Skull's near-headless corpse was standing on both legs as blood was streaming down from its top, soaking the biker uniform crimson. To call it gruesome would be an understatement. No word or emotion could sum up what they were experiencing in that moment.
"How--his flames!?"
"What's going on!!"
"Sk--Skull??"
How could a corpse, which had lost its will to live, its very soul, produce deathperation flames?! The very essence of one's will?
—The scene turned.
The Cloud flames that pushed against them all, moved and squeezed into a tight fit among them, moving to the flames of the Arcobalenos.
"Oi oi oi, you guYS!?" Colonello screamed in rising panic (majority of which stemmed from confusion). His head jerked left and right to look at his companions.
"What's happening? Explain." Bermuda turned to Kawahira who, interestingly enough, turned paler by the second.
He was shaking, face lost all muscle so his shock was openly portrayed for all to see.
Only, that shock bordered on something else - if they felt horror then he felt terror, abundant fear.
Was Checkerface, the man with the iron hat, afraid right now??
The Arcobaleno's Cloud flames hummed in intensity as they snuggled in close to the others', almost violating their proximity with reckless abandon.
Then - they didn't believe it to be possible, to be real - their eyes popped open, almost out of their sockets as their flames got stronger, more and more, higher in intensity and FV.
Their output remained the same, yet the Lackey's flames somehow amplified them!!
He wasn't a fucking flame conductor or repeater, nevermind amplifier!!
What the Primo?! He was human, he was dead and he was not supposed to be able to do that!!
The surrounding area swelled and cracked with energy, some of it so much that it traveled back down to their group.
It brushed against them, not quite painfully, more like they had a small weight, barely that of a door, pressed against their chest.
The multiple ensemble and exposition of DWF on them didn't leave without aftereffects.
Their wounds healed, poisons and the like vanished, their nerves claimed down as their mind cleared up, their attention focusing on the task as they felt protected by the barrier the flames made on their own.
-Squelch. Snap. Zzzzssst..
Even the dead rose under their combined strength. Injuries disappeared as blood vessels, bones, blood, organs such as brain and eyes reformed.
When the body seemed fully intact, its eyes opened, flashing purple that were- that were-!
A hint of orange passed into the silky yet strong-as-metal threat of Skull's DWF. A Sky, he was also a Sky!?
Nevermind that for now- "He's alive?!" Bermuda exclaimed.
A yawn answered him.
Arms stretching up as if waking up from an afternoon nap.
Purple eyes turned to him.
"No. I'm not alive. I'm simply not dead."
"Skull-san!" Enma shouted, jovial, tears in his eyes as he looked at the smaller male.
"Hey kid. How're ya holding up?" Skull jumped onto his shoulder, going down to where he held hands with his Glacier Guardian Adelheid who let him do so as he wasn't molesting her right then and there. He sat down, placing his hands on either side of him, right on top of their own.
The effect was immediate.
From the point of connection, their flames intensified until it was almost painful and they pushed them out.
Their Cloud-enhanced flames easily pushed into the container while they felt their reserves filling up at the same time.
"That's enough!" Talbot shouted.
They stopped in response, reigning their flames back under lock and key. Skull also stopped propagating them.
The device lightly levitated off ground and was handed to the Vindice for protection and safe-handling. They promptly left after that.
Skull hopped off of his seat, landing on the ground.
He proceeded to crack his neck as if had been lying in an uncomfortable position all day and night. The number of pops was slightly concerning.
The Arcobaleno were still too stunned seeing him. Alive.
The fact that he was quiet and could amplify flames like that... It spoke of two explanations for this being possible. The first: secrets - He'd perfectly hidden this part all his life from them.
The second: luck - which made it either a recent discovery or a one-time phenomenon.
Though, judging by what he'd said earlier, it was most likely the first option. Which meant he'd lied to them all.
Reborn stepped towards him, "Skull-" a barrage of questions and interrogations resting on his tongue when Skull stepped towards to Kawahira who instantly flinched back.
"You did quite a fun trick there, don't you think? Didn't think I would come for you? My child was nice enough to help me out. You've done and set yourself within my sights, and you thought I had nothing to say about that? How respectful of you. Should I have sent one of my Own ahead of time to announce my visit to the mortal plane? Hm?"
Skull kept going closer as Kawahira seemed to be anywhere but near his reach, the others' confusion and curiosity spiking.
"No- I mean, it was- It wasn't--
It was fine the-"
"Come to me with 'the greater good' bullshit and I'll have to demonstrate on you what I understand it as. Witch trials had also been enacted for that, and you think I liked them?
I absolutely abhore your type of character. Thankfully the rest of your kind wasn't like this. They also have a lot to say to you about your crimes. Crimes against the balance of the world."
"The world of the Trinisette was falling apart! Did you -ehem- it couldn't possibly be expected of me to sit by while I watched it destroy any and all life!"
"You speak of Absolution - the destruction of all life, existence and matter - yet that is my jurisdiction. Your interference in whether or not that Event comes to pass is irrelevant, as you would be unable to stop it. Neither you, nor these children you've roped into your fuckery, have any power over that.
As for the Balance of the World: I'd believed you'd known with all the time you'd spent here that you were aware that nature has a way to balance itself, even if it requires taking something else in return.
And it is not, nor shall it never be, the sacrifice you've sought out for it to be complete.
Neither today nor anytime soon is the fated day of Absolution, hence life will continue until that point. What you have done is try to maintain the world in its initial premature stage, halting progress so it was within a field you could still control and 'maintain'. It is far past that stage, yet you're unable to let go like a child without its safety blanket. Mind you, even they show more maturity than you as they are capable of seeking and accepting help from others. These children aren't even 1/20th of your age and they're already wiser beyond your years.
Your kind may have brought the 3°7 into this world, yet by the time it was ingrained in the core of its existence - within everything and anyone - it was no longer yours. What you've given without consent to Life, can never be returned. It can, however, be taken. And that is what I will do to you if you take anymore action as 'Administrator'. Are we clear."
Kawahira was silent.
Purple eyes narrowed in displeasure, threat and promise. "I do not like having to repeat myself. I'm not overly patient as you must know. Neither do I ever come twice for one specific mortal."
Kawahira, who had held his breath throughout the lackeys speech while turning 50 shades of blue, gave a sharp, clear nod before he disappeared in Mist, implementing his new promise immediately.
Skull leaned back, expression mildly satisfied and majorly twisted. He sighed, holding his head with a groan as he scratched it's surface. "Always in trouble aren't you, dear."
"Uuhm, Skull?" Enma asked, voice low and squeaky, clearly concerned. This didn't sound like the friend he'd gotten to know and was used to. He seemed foreign. -Maybe he had amnesia or something from the-! Well, brain damage from earlier!
"Hm? Yes, what is it, little Earth?" Skull asked, turning around.
He seemed fine, completely healthy even after a third to fifth look at him-- Except for his Hollow eyes. His iris' were blown so out of proportion they overtook near the entire eyesocket. Between the large iris and the frame of his eyes was still a sliver of white, which added another set of questions:
1) how was he alive? Is he ok??
2) what, exactly, did he do during the DWF convergence!?
3) what TF did he scare Checkerface with and how?!
"Are you okay? You seem... different."
A cough from behind signaled the others opinion on 'different'.
It took no detective to see the change and they wanted to share their agreement on the matter. After all it went from stumbling buffoon -> dead idiot -> Cloudy menace!!
Like... How is that even possible-!?
Amnesia and strong hypnotism from a particularly powerful mist, yet that couldn't be it.
The amount of 'brain damage' couldn't even be classified for that. And the strongest Mists were too preoccupied to do that to what should be an 'entirely braindead/ brainless' person, that - oh, by the way! - was fucking dead. Unresponsive, switched planes of existence, no heartbeat, no flame-!!
No flame??
Enma looked to the other Arcobaleno whom looked extremely uncomfortable, confused and wary. Seeing their response something wasn't quite right. Earlier, Skull had clearly died. None of them could sense any deathparation flames from him. Absolutely none, not even night flames.
It seemed the same thing was still happening, despite the clear use of his DWF earlier. How can someone use DWF to that extent without possessing them, or being able to sense a hint of smoke in that person?
On all accounts, absence of flames was only possible for non-living, meaning buildings, roads, corpses. Further implying Skull was still dead, but not a zombie, judging by his conversational skills.
"We are as fine as can be." Skull replied. His tone sounded fairly amused and unconcerned.
"Clearly not, seeing your behaviour." Verde found his voice, noting that the other still referred to himself in third person. Alas, something he recognized.
Skull approached him, steps light and full of purpose, yet deceptively empty of threat.
It reminded them of Fon and they couldn't quite help but tense at the display. Even Hibari and the Varia seemed to brace themselves despite them not having been acquainted or known the Cloud for as long as the rest of them. Still, they perceived him as enough of a threat to prepare for a fight.
"Yours is not favorable to speak of either, using and sacrificing other for your own gain in the pursuit of knowledge... Your mind is similar to the administrator, has anyone ever told you?"
Verde was going red from rage. Him, like Checkerface?! How dare-!
"Clearly you have a deathwish if you go around running your mouth." Reborn said, tone laced with warning to 'fall in line'.
Skull's head swiveled to stare at him,face slack with boredom.
"As a matter of fact, that is impossible. For another, you're being a hypocrite. Whom amongst you likes ruining other people's day for fun the most? Who's known for it the best? You. So if you'd like to comment, do try to not insult yourself in the process. It's pitiful, really. And I can't spare pity for unrepentant bastards."
Reborn drew his gun, the end of the barrel pointing at Skull.
Or, what remained of Skull, cause this was definitely not the Lackey. More like a haughty demon possessed human skin.
"How about we calm down and talk to figure things out." Fon suggested, smile tight and eyes open in the face of hostility.
"Then may I suggest not showing your offensiveness?
It would work wonders in peaceful conversations. Additionally, it's rude to be so aggressive to the one who just helped save your life."
"As if we couldn't have done so without you." Colonello scoffed.
Skull didn't even look at him as he graced him with a response:
"3 broken ribs, bruised lung, sprained ankle, well on the way to flame exhaustion, mental fatigue along with a concussion... shall I continue?"
Colonello started, jumping back a little in what appeared to be fright? The strongest Rain was scared. How did he know my condition so well?! A sprained ankle wouldn't even be noticed on a sniper!! Fuck! Even Lal hadn't seen it!
Lal, for that matter, kept quiet. She glanced in between her student and the (likely possessed) corpse of the Cloud Arcobaleno.
"You're... not the trash."
Skull's calm, inky eyes moved to Xanxus. They were unblinking, appraisive, and constantly present. They turned crescent. Then he opened his mouth, affirming their thoughts almost gleefully.
"No. I am not."
5 shots rang out from Reborn, Xanxus, Lal, Colonello and Verde, respectively.
They were fatal shots. Hitting the stomach, brain, chest, neck and the place between the eyes, just above the nose bridge.
Skull didn't fall back, and the eyes didn't blink.
"Waooo~ Senpai, is he dead...?" Belphegor asked.
His question was answered:
Negative.
The bullets were pushed out of their entry holes by vivid Cloud flames, the area behind them closing up and stitching itself back together nearly seamlessly.
"Sigh, would the lot of you mind not mutilating the well-being of my child for fucking once?!" The voice that came out of Skull was a threatening growl once again.
It was the same one that had addressed Checkerface with no semblance of hesitance yet with authority and a promise of pain beyond mortal comprehension if met with disobedience.
...
"Your... child?"
Skull's eyes snapped to the hesitant Cavalonne Don, Dino. Hibari Kyoya subtly twitched.
An amused, toothy smile graced the infants lips. "That is correct. I am not Skull De Morte, and he isn't me. He is, however, my Own. My beloved child."
"Then who - or rather what - are you?" Tsuna asked. He'd gotten some courage and energy back. Though he still looked like he could collapse if his nerves relaxed even slightly.
Poor, brave child. Life's gift must be singing him a choir right now.
Skull's eyes softened. He of all people knew best that in today's world it wasn't often to find one so willing to sacrifice their well-being for others. A trait that tends to get abused, hurting them in the end. (Which is also the reason Life used to give them a particular brand of self-preservation instincts.)
No matter, he mused, the Sun Arcobaleno seemed smitten enough to watch out for him, despite the child's own set of willing Guardians or biological parents.
He nodded. "I am his parent.
I am referred to as Mort, yet I hold many other names and titles as well. And I am the one who brings him back to Life.
I am what you would refer to as the embodiment of Death."
"Are you claiming the Lackey's-"
"And you shall henceforth stop addressing my child as any lesser to or of you."
The pressure of Cloud flames had Reborn's face meet the ground he stood upon without time to prepare.
"He has given you his name and everyone else calls him by it, so shall you. It is Skull De Mort.
Skull of Death.
I may forgive the impoliteness amongst good friends, however - be it as it may that you're also bonded to him -, that will only be for as long as I allow it to come back into existence;
A dead bond is a cut bond.
...Sigh, he wasn't even meant to become a part of your rag-tag group of strays or a curse bearer. No wonder he'd avoided any visits home so as to escape my notice." Skull pouted, parts annoyed and resigned. He again glared down at Reborn's smashed face, vindictive.
"His task had been to learn and observe the way of life and death as our apprentice, our successor. 'Rebirth' incarnate.
He was not fated to become a servant to deal with your minor inconveniences."
"Will you restore the bond..?" Enma asked bravely, some part of him let him know that Skull, or Mort, wouldn't harm him.
'Mort' turned to address Enma.
"To those that I deem deserve it, are worthy of it, I will open easy passage to its previous state.
To those I find unworthy, well-- they are to face Skull's decision and a trial from myself shall they force it."
With that, Mort slapped himself against his chest and they could feel a small shockwave resonating back. "It is time to wake up again, dear."
Skull's veins lit up with slightly warmer, brighter Cloud energy streaming from his heart. It was different to the flames that had pushed the bullets out from earlier. It carried familiarity.
It coursed throughout every fiber of his being until his body was forced to stretch beyond what its limit entailed as humanly possible: His limbs elongated, his height grew, his weight increased (albeit little as he didn't need to consume much of anything to exist).
Barely a minute of bone snapping and flame-flaring later, Skull stood there as a fully grown adolescent. Thankfully, his Cloud flames had also made sure to propagate the fibers in his suit so he was still fully clothed in his purple full-body motorcycle suit.
'He' (they weren't sure if it was Mort or, well, Skull) held his head, groaning. His eyelids were blinking rapidly and they were able to see when the large black iris receded and a more humane eye began staring back.
They could also feel the extent of the increasing Cloud flames emitting from him and boi, was there a lot. Even Tsuna or the ones with the largest energy reserves couldn't hold a candle to it. Yes, it was just that freaking large.
"Uuuhh, what'd I miss??" Skull -that was definitely his attitude- questioned, looking around while rubbing his head, messing up the dried blood that lingered there.
Then, as if he had an epiphany, his eyes widened comically.
"-CraaAAaap. Dad was here."
Skull proceeded to tug at his hair in what resembled a mid-life crisis... or constant crisis. Depends on who makes the judgment.
Point is, he seemed to be groaning in nonexistent pain.
Or eternal. Death was apparently more than just a social construct or part of cause and effect. And they or he, cause apparently Death was taking the male parenting role, were not above playing favorites.
Speaking of:... Will Skull rejoin the Arcobaleno? They now knew he was immune to death coz' he was a freaking demi-god (at least, who knew who or what the other parent was? Cthulu?). Verde wasn't the only one having trouble processing that, or the fact he could enhance the essence of life also known as dying will/ deathparation flames (which now makes sense).