Skull goes through the Carcassa's training along with Zachary and the rest of his Squadron - Grey 1/23.
Grey, signifying they were all formally civilians (white) and in the process of becoming official mafioso (black). Higher ranked Carcassa squads are given a bone symbol according to rank.
The 1 signifies they're the first of their unit and the two digits after stand for the year their training began.
In educational terms: Skull was a mid-term transfer in his squad, which is unusual.
He should've been out in a later squadron so his training was thorough. Yet as he had been in the mafia for a while already - beside the Arcobaleno! - he was put with them.
They'll judge his progress and if he becomes a bottom-feeder move him to another squadron. But should he rise in it... Well, then that's an opportunity for them all.
Skull, after coming to the resolution he might as well try his best to at least not hinder his bunkmates, ends up gaining infamy with his singular codex: Stand behind you, protect them. Stand beside you, respect them. Stand before you, help them. Stand against you, show them no mercy.
Also, he does have anger.
Lots and lots of it, he'd just been conditioned not to release it, so he could only ever cry when angry. Suppressed rage in him, festering into a monster.
An interesting phenomenon his bunkmate had discovered when the other was sleep-fighting. (No, Zachary isn't kidding.)
He'd leave dorm, head to the grounds while crying and beat himself into it while breaking dummies he couldn't even put a dent in during the day.
That had been reported, and Skull received training to act on his anger. The day he'd beaten the supervising drill Sargeant (the man had nothing on Reborn, his vice nothing compared to Lal) into the dirt while 7 knives potruded his own skin was the start of his legend. He'd been promoted to vice leader of his squadron, gaining his first real authority. The leader was still Max, the boy he'd first seen with not-slit eyes that guided him to Zachary. Max was a lightning and, while not a Cloud, imposed his will on established structures. Skull shook them up and Max kept him in his sights. Not as an enemy, but a thing to be wary of for his strength and prowess.
Then they went on missions a year later, no longer novices but official combatants. They got captured, some killed but ultimately ended up with one casualty. How it happens that some died while only having one casualty in the report, a contradiction that remained in official documentation?? Skull.
Cloud flames acted out and bounced theirs back 'online' for the healers to get them back. Skull ended up the most beaten and nearly flame exhausted.
He was comatose when coming back to headquarters, snapping back out after the healers deemed him ready and the Mists drew his mind back on the right track, cemented in Reality. L. was the one to bring him back to the squad and surprise him over his newest promotion to squad leader, Max' position as the other became his vice in turn. Skull expected him to be angry, possibly try and throttle him, but he spoke, for possibly the first time to him, and said his thanks.
Color him surprised, but it seems the other wasn't mad with him. No, he's proud.
"A squad leader ensures the plan's success while retaining as many resources as possible; I failed that responsibility. If not for you, I'd have lost more than duty I could no longer uphold."
Skull was speechless, and giddy. He did good!! He accomplished something and was thanked for it!!
He was now captain rank. His newest tasks involved attending meetings with commanders of higher rank, coordinating strategies with other captains, organizing training sessions... He was pushed into learning to be a leader.
And he excelled in his own way, unexpectedly.
His codex pushed his squadron to pick fights as one. If one of them started a fight or got picked on then the rest followed them into battle - like angry hornet's. They fell in line with each other, understood how they worked. They picked up the slack and defended the others' weaknesses where it was necessary though left it be during training for them to improve. Something purred darkly in Skull's chest.
This gained them respect from the other platoons, who soon asked for protection from older squads as a pecking order was made through pure strength, no matter the experience. You weren't given a way out in the mafia because you lacked. You lost because you were lacking strength and that would be it. The Carcassa was clear in that and enforced that mindset on their recruits.
Now, Skull's codex didn't exclude protecting those outside their group. The request fits into the "Stand behind you, protect them" so that's what they'd do. For no other reason than their leader, the one they owed their life to without him owning them, wanted it to be that way. It brought them strength and through survival.
A fact the novices came to realize, quickly falling in line under them. Soon enough, Squad 1/ 23 didn't consist of 20 soldiers. It's invisible members branched into two hundred!!
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It was only five years later that Skull was about to be promoted to commander, should he pass a test: lead his squad and at least 5 new combatant squads in a mission.
'At least' didn't mention a limit.
He invades Mafia Land with his own Commander rank squad, 15 captain squads and 6 novice squads, coming to a total of 22 squads. 445 flame actives.
A recruitment record, seeing that more than half were volunteers. Not only that, the mission received notice to the higher ups after they were reported to have held fort for 3 days with 10 casualties at most, 3 of those were deaths, without backup.
When they returned Skull wore 3 beads on a string. It wasn't a souvenir. It was symbolic.
It was a reminder. A failure. Each time he lost a soldier - a comrade- he'd add a bead to it. The more beads he had the sooner the fight would end, the more dangerous he'd become for foes. The sooner and vicious the beast reared its head and tore.
"Skull of Carcassa" became reknown. Inside he was dangerous, a respected individual. Not many tried to cross him... sans those who attempted to get his position.
3:0 failed attempts were made in total.
Despite his game and growing competence, Skull wasn't the best in controlling his flames, never was, never will. His comrades don't expect him to either. His nightly patrols, where he's drenched from sole to hair tip in Cloud flames and marking their resting space, shows how much he's willing to sacrifice. How far he's willing to fight. During those times he's accompanied by 2 officers, as is standard when your supervising superior officer is out and about.
He doesn't talk then, but he understands intent better than words spoken in any language. His flame instinct is one of the greatest and purest they've ever seen. Perhaps the reason for his leadership skills following the laws of the wild.
The Carcassa Don sees this, analyses the reports of his drill sargeants, opinions of his own guardians, watches and muses to himself. Greed in his eyes and a gleeful smirl on his lips.
They'd been left with a beaten runt but it became a fearsome beast proudly standing for the Carcassa. Loyal as much as obliged.
The Sun Arcobaleno could never get the contract back now, he's gonna keep this Cloud.
The Cloud's soul belonged to them the moment the contract was signed. His loyalty lies with them first and foremost, Arcobaleno matters second.
And they have no clue about the monster they failed to see in the Cloud they never wanted.
HA!! Skull was the greatest Cloud he's come across in his entire life! His own non-withstanding. Had the man stronger flames he'd have wanted the other as his guardian. Alas, he still got him.
They failed because he's unusual, abnormal, different. He had been told the Cloud Arcobaleno was an 'inverted' element - he wasn't a loner, that's for sure.
He was a leader that attracted his own allies, a socialite Cloud. He'd go so far as to brand him a cloudy Sky if it wasn't affirmed again and again that his soul was purely aligned with the Cloud Element.
He'll be looking forward to the next time his best commander strikes out against their enemy. He'll be amused over the next ambitioned trainees wanting to join his leadership.
He'll have the envy of so many Don's who don't have a Cloud as strong or charismatic as him.
And he'll look forward to the day the Sun Arcobaleno shall lose to him while betting all odds.
He muses and delights, watching the Cloud pit one captain ranked squad against five full of newbie recruits that barely learned their flames.
To teach them how it's done. To follow or kneel against them.
He sees, and unholy satisfaction fills his soul.
Skull tilts his head to his office, an acknowledgement of his attention, but focuses on the ensuing fight while his gaze tints. A beast watching alongside him, awake and prowling.