Chapter Text
There was one truth universally acknowledged. The Arcobaleno’s had fucked up.
It was not a matter of opinion like some might say. It was the truth. A truth they had ignored for more than forty years. A truth they had not seen nor acknowledged until they had lost an important part of themselves.
They had ignored it until Skull had left. The only sign he had ever even been there was an ugly large chair. Patterned with orange polka dots on a lime green backdrop. A hole in the wall from where they had once punched the Cloud through it. A bike that sat in the garage, and a Journal. A Journal that held the truth they had missed.
For more than five years the Arcobaleno’s had been a shadow of themselves. Their failure and pride tossed into their faces as their Cloud got his final revenge on them. For more than five years they had searched every face they had come across. Hoping to see a familiar painted one. Hoping to be able to bring their Cloud home. To heal the rift, they had caused.
That hope had been in vain. So, color Verde surprised when Reborn had sent a message requesting, they all go back. Back to the place they had avoided since days after they realized their largest regret.
It was not a place he was keen on going. Not when he would be forced to face the large house that was missing a key part of them. Not when he would have to see Skull’s bike. Dustey from time. Knowing that Skull would have been angry to see his bike in such a way. Knowing he would have to walk past his Clouds empty room. See his Journal. See the hole in the wall. The television. The corded phone. The things he hated and loved because he was reminded of the Cloud. His Cloud.
Still, if Reborn asked to meet there it had to be for a good reason. He knew the man had not stepped a foot in that building since he had packed his bags and left. None of them had. With his head high and his feet steady he left his lab’s and headed back. Back to the place he never wanted to see again. Back to the Manor. Back to the only place he had ever considered home.
It took him six hours to arrive at the manor. The windows were dark, unwashed, and covered with grime. Skull, he was reminded, had been the one to keep the house clean. Not that any of them had ever acknowledged it. They had not even noticed it.
Taking their Cloud for granted was just one more sin on the already large ledger they had made. One more thing they had failed to do right by their Cloud. One more thing they had to regret.
“Look’s abandoned doesn’t it, Kora?” A soft voice called, and Verde turned to lock eyes with the blue of his male Rain. Before Skull had left Colonnello had been the second loudest. Only coming after Skull in volume. Now, he was often the quietest. Rarely speaking and never louder than he had to.
It was like the life had been sapped from him. His once mischievous blue was a dim echo of what it had been. “That is because it was.” Verde found himself answering. Getting a strained smile from the Rain who hefted his backpack up onto his shoulder.
“What do you think Reborn wants?” Lal asked as she slid up beside them. “Never thought we would be made to come here again.” She sighed as she eyed the darkened building.
Verde nodded to her, knowing better than most that the first question was rhetorical.
“Doesn’t seem right, does it?” Colonnello asked after a moment.
Verde shook his head. No, no it didn’t. This had been Skull’s home just as much as it had been theirs. They had chased the Cloud from it. It was only fair they leave it. A part of Verde had hoped that Skull would come back. With them no longer in residence the Cloud could come back and live in the house.
At least then they would have known where he was. At least then they would have been reassured he was alive. If Skull needed time, they would have given it to him. They would have met him in one of the small towns. Sat with him. Let him scream and shout and make his accusations. They could have apologized and tried to start new.
Skull had not. The house had sat empty for five long years.
Viper was the next to show up. Wrapped in their cloak. Their eyes hidden under their cowl. Verde idly wondered if they had stopped trying to scry for the missing Cloud. Something told him the answer was no.
He stood rooted to the spot. Hie eyes trailing from one of his fellow elements to the next, until he spied Fon ambling over. His customary smile was long gone. His face blank. Verde knew the man rarely smiled these days. It had been widely whispered about in the Underworld. What could have happened to change the Arcobaleno’s? That was before the whispered questions of the missing Cloud had been heard.
Verde knew of only one fool stupid enough to ask the Storm. The fool had found himself dead. The Storm had used his Flames to disintegrate the foolish man’s organs.
Fon had watched with a blank stare until the man was dead before turning and walking away. Not even caring enough to clean up his mess. Verde sometimes wondered if the man had stopped caring about not getting himself on the police’s radar. It was by sheer luck some of his more brutal kills had been blamed on other people. In fact, he was almost a hundred percent sure that someone else was watching out for him. Only, he knew it was none of them. So that left the question of who.
At first, he had thought it was Reborn. A few of those who had been arrested had been thorns in the Sun’s side. Only it wasn’t. The man had been just as surprised to see Manoto Alisson arrested for Fon’s murders as they had been.
Then he had thought it was Viper, but the Mist wasn’t about to do anything for free.
He knew it wasn’t Colonnello, Lal, or himself. It wasn’t one of their allies. It wasn’t the Varia, nor was it the Triads. It wasn’t Vongola. It wasn’t… well anyone they knew.
“I see we’re all here.” Reborn’s voice called from behind them. The Hitman looked… well he didn’t look like himself. He wore a pair of denim pants and a yellow shirt. His suit was missing. His boots weren’t dress shoes but well-worn leather boots. Skull’s disappearance had hit the man rather hard.
“Let’s go in.” He said as he slid past them. His gait was still the same. Holding a silent confidence. The house, Verde noted, was dusty.
A sheen of dust covered every surface. Cobwebs could be seen in the corners. It would need to be cleaned thoroughly if they had to stay for more than an hour or so.
“Is there a reason we’re back here Kora?” Colonnello questioned as he shut the door behind them. His own eyes taking in the room.
“I found Skull.”