You'll never get it, you'll never learn
To anticipate these feeling that occur

Leaving the Arcobaleno manor wasn't emotionally hard in the slightest. The people in there, that so called 'Family' wasn't worth the house they lived in. Narcissists the lot of them. The moment you didn't live up to their expectations you were automatically labeled useless and dumped, at least until the next time they needed your skills.

(The ones he didn't have, obviously. Tch.)

The only reason he hadn't left before tonight was because it would have been close to impossible. Not with Aria back with them, exuding a gagging amount of Sky Flames to draw the others in. If he would have disappeared suddenly while she was courting everyone so aggressively, it would have been found out and a man hunt would have been issued. Because they were 'worried,' of course.

So very worried about poor, weak Skull who didn't know anything about the Mafia even after being curb stomped into it 40 years previous. But now was the time when he'd need to be taught and guided into the right Family. Now that the Curse was gone, Aria wasn't going to die, and they were all the Strongest Adults. Right. Of course!

Skull hoisted himself over the bathroom window, dragging his small amount of possessions with him, while he suspiciously looked around. He wouldn't put it past anyone in the mansion to put booby traps around every conceivable exit.

Seeing, hearing and smelling nothing (You would not believe the traps the others had made him test over the years. While kinda useful they had always left him hurt even when he could die, for weeks afterwards. Sometimes… Most of the time he thought he might just hate them for it all. )

And before anything else can happen can he just give a giant thank you to god, that they all weren't completely grown yet? Otherwise he'd have never fit through such a small opening. Even better, none of them could follow him through it. He'd always been the smallest besides Viper, so even if they caught him in the midst of his daring escape. They'd end up having to break the wall down to fallow, which would give him precious seconds to book it towards the woods surrounding them.

Shimmying off his stomach with the light canvas bag on his back, Skull slowly and methodically made his way through the trees. The farther away he got from the noise and lights of the house the better he felt. Soon all he could think about was after.

He'd finally be able to ditch the monstrosity of a bike Verde had begrudgingly given him in the beginning for his own, he'd be able to take these stupid bike leathers Colonello forced him to wear in the beginning off, no more abuse, no more death, no more having to do something in the Mafia at least once a year to keep the worst of the Family's off his back (god he hated Mafia island) and he'd be free. Completely, utterly free for the first time in years.

He would go to ground for however long the others wanted to look for him. They'd get bored eventually when 'Civilian' Skull wasn't found, assuming he'd either died without their 'protection' or he'd gone back to doing whatever he did before.

And he could deal with that. Make a new name, a new alias, then go back to stunt riding. He'd have to start at the bottom again but that was a wonderfully low price to pay to get his life back. With the years he'd spent being the most chased-after Arcobaleno, making fake ids would be (He was hilarious. Didn't you know? ...gott he needed some friends. Talking to yourself in your own head probably isn't great.) child's play.

By the time Skull had made it through the dense forest, miles away from that poison-honey house, he was almost giddy with excitement. He was so close. So ready to put all of this, and all of those awful people behind him.

He never should have allowed himself to hope.
It was useless. Always. Always useless.

Because there stood Reborn in all his 17 year old glory. So much taller than Skull, so much bigger than Skull and so very cruel especially to Skull. Why did he ever think he'd be able to get away so easily?

Reborn's smile when he looked up from Skulls new custom-made adult-sized bike, the one very much not made by Verde wasn't kind. If a lizard could look both sympathetic and amused then Leon was succeeding wonderfully right then.

"So tell me, Lackey." Even trying his hardest Skull knew Reborn had caught his wince at the title, if the satisfied gleam in his void eyes was anything to go by. "This bike is very new. So new in fact, you'd have to have bought it the second it was confirmed we'd all be our correct sizes soon." Reborn ran a finger nail through the leather of the seat and Skull really wanted to cry. He'd been designing that bike since the day they were cursed. Only changing it for the updated technology that came out. It was his kid, his baby.

"What's even more curious, is that I distinctly recall Aria requesting we all stay close while our Bonds resettle." Throughout this entire exchange (Why was this man always so dramatic? Skull was supposed to be the Actor) what really unsettled Skull was that Reborn hadn't turned away from him. Not once, just stared straight into his eyes.

No one ever wanted Reborn's undivided attention. Not his targets, not his partners, and definitely not Skull. Even though he seemed to be the one to get it most often.

Then using the inborn strength of his Flame that Skull knew Reborn hated, he taped the beautifully silver top until a sharp crack filled the air. He'd split the chrome dome on top of the bike.

Oh Бог why did this always happen to him, why did Reborn always have to do this to him?! What did he even want? Skull was trying to leave, was able to leave at last. They'd all been trying for this outcome for so damn long, what else could he possibly want?

"I'm trying to let you all do that! Aria and the rest of the Guardians are inside! Just tell me what you want, Reborn and I'll give it to you." Skull stepped closer, hands almost shaking in frustration at everything."I'll give you anything if you'll please just... just let me leave.."

If anything, after that impassioned plea to whatever ounce of compassion Reborn may have had in his heart, turned him even more enigmatic.

Reborn's voice was steady if slightly bemused when he replied. "She could be your Sky, Skull. Either way your still one of my fellow elements. You need to be there." That mocking smirk that he was so well known for appeared. "No matter how useless you are, they still want you for whatever reason."

Skull knew what he was about to say wouldn't go over well. It might even get him killed. He could change it. Could just go back to the party and hope like hell someone killed off Aria so that he'd have no reason to stay but…

But he was so close.

He couldn't. Wouldn't change what he wanted, what he thought. Not for Reborn who still terrified him no matter what he did. Not for Viper who was the closest thing he had for a friend in this godforsaken place, or for Fon who stood by and watched the abuse, not for Colonello or Lal or Verde. He would do what he'd wanted to do since the day he was forcibly dragged into this Mafia version of an acid trip kicking and screaming, then told to sink or swim, since no one cared what happened to him either way.

"She is not my Sky. And I am not one of your elements ." Skull would fight if he had to. Now that he was so close he would fight any one of them, all of them if it came down to it. But he wouldn't go back. Not for anything.

Reborn sighing in annoyance was not what he'd been expecting as a reaction. Maybe some disbelief, anger more than likely. Honestly, he'd been expecting something a little more…. Unanticlimactic? Definitely yelling, definitely a lot more shooting. Not this.. fond(?) exasperation to his impassioned words.

"You are so very lucky I'm in such a good mood, Lackey. Otherwise this would have turned out very differently for you." Reborn said after he'd finished huffing out what passed as a laugh for him.

(And honestly? Completely unfair he laughed like what whiskey tastes like. All warm and smooth but had a kick even if you were expecting it.)

"Aria will be your Sky. She will be until the day she dies, you idiot. You've already slightly Harmonized with her because of the pacifiers. It'll be the same with Yuni even with them and her, gone." Reborn rolled his eyes since, in his opinion, Skull should have already figured this out. "No matter how utterly stupid you are, you are still my Element. That comes with certain...responsibilities." Reborn's eyes darkened when looked back towards the motorcycle. "Like knowing what exactly you were planning on doing tonight."

Skull didn't hear any of this. He was getting angry. Very, very angry. No matter what he said. What he fucking did. These people never listened to him. He couldn't even pick his own Sky now? They'd already done that for him? The Curse was gone and they just expected everything would stay the same?

No.

NO

He would NOT be trapped again.

If Reborn was so convinced that he'd already Harmonized with Aria, that he already had Guardian bonds with the others, well he'd just have to B R E A K them. Он больше не будет в клетке!

Glaring at Reborn with every ounce of outrage, hopelessness, and anger he'd felt since meeting the man, Skull did something he'd never had the courage to do before.

He completely released his Flames.

—

When Skull-Not-Skull has been very, very young he had been loved very, very much. He'd been a rare precious thing everyone had told him. The Purple Fire he could make was very, very good. They'd have him do short tests as he'd grown older, stronger, more loved.

But… there had been an accident.

One day, a day like any other he'd decided to take one of his домашних bikes out to ride. He'd done it hundreds of times before. He'd be gone for a couple of hours at most, get back then be yelled out for leaving. Same old same old.

And it had happened like that. Everything had gone like it normally would. He'd been heading back when a car had (Later he'll hope it wasn't his sister Albertyne's car that impacted. Бог..) impacted the front of his motorcycle. The last thing he remembered was hitting the ground, screaming inside at how he didn't want to die!

He'd woken up to nothing.

No trees, no car, no house and no семьи. His Cloud Flames has destroyed everything. There was nothing left. It was all just….dirt. Dirt and ground and only his screaming into the night for weeks.

He'd died so many times that year. First from starvation, the house had been in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing on all sides. When he'd woken up again he'd thrown himself off the closest cliff he could find. And he'd woken up again.

He'd tried everything. Snakes, bears, hypothermia, Wolves, poison berries. Whatever he could find he tried.

But nothing worked.

He'd always come back. No matter how much damage he took, how much he begged his Flames to please just stop, nothing worked.

He'd met Checker Face not long after.

But he never released his Flames fully ever again. Not after destroying his own Territory.

—

Propagating the trees around him into iron, Skull made a cocoon around himself. It wouldn't keep Reborn out for long but it would have to be good enough.

He'd never had to look inside himself before, not in the way Fon had tried to 'teach' him, to find his Flames and take control. They'd always done exactly what he'd wanted them to do. But to hunt for these so-called 'Bonds' he'd have to try it Fons way.

They couldn't be that hard to find. He'd have to be quick though as Reborn had already started shooting at his little hideaway.

He was right. It was ridiculously easy to find when he tried. The first one he came across was the Sky. It was sticky sweet like taffy, and it felt like when you chewed candy with a cavity. A small constant ache every time. It was also the thinnest of the Bonds around his heart.

They looked like light orange razor wire, cutting into him in the name of 'compassion.' Skull yanked at it, his hand bleeding purple flames to try and shore up the damage the Sky had done to him unintentionally. A faint scream from the vague direction of the house proved that he was doing this correctly.

It also spurned Reborn into some harder hits, from normal bullets to his famous Chaos shot. It would be enough. He would not be caged again.

After the Sky bond the others were even easier to find. All doing some type of harm to his Flames. Viper was using his almost unlimited amount of Cloud Flames to help shore up their own Mist. That scream hurt his heart the tiniest bit but he would not falter.

(Even if The Mist shielded him from some dangers, It wasn't enough. Not nearly what it should between Guardians. Between friends )

Reborn had to be getting annoyed by now. Skull had never gone up against him before. Not once. Not like this.

Rain was even easier. It was as tough as an old boot but tearing at it until his hands were covered in blisters was worth it to see the Flames try to cling on. To something, anything. Him, the torn protection he'd offered before, Skulls Flames. Whatever it was they tried to stay, to cling. But thankfully they faded away eventually. Colonello's scream was two folded, when Lal joined in.

"-Skull, you Sfigato! Open a damn door! Cranio! Teschio maledizione, ti ucciderò! You Rompicoglioni-"

(He knew Colonello cared a lot about him. Like a little brother almost. But that did not give him the right to do whatever he wanted, however he wanted. Skull was a person and he would not stand for it. Not anymore.)

Fon's Flame fought back. They'd have to know what was happening by now. He'd seen what happened to broken bonds. They all had at one time or another. Normally the Breakee would be incapacitated for however strong the bond had been for them. By Skulls quick estimate he had minutes, if that, to rip all of them out before the first ones recovered enough to come investigate.

( He eventually had to overpower them completely. He didn't have time for the drawn out fight Skull knew Fon was aiming for. He needed to go now. Needed to get to Reborn. He wouldn't apologize for not giving Fon what he wanted. The man was just like his nephew, a giant hypocrite. But Skull wasn't Tsuna. He would not Forgive and Forget. He wasn't a Sky. )

"-Lo giuro su Dio Teschio, se stai facendo quello che penso che stai facendo, non ti lascerò mai andare. Come osi. Come osi! Sei nostro!-"

Reborn had gone into speaking entirely in italien. That wasn't good. That wasn't good at all. Skull tried really hard to focus on the two remaining bonds before he was horribly killed by Reborn's passionate wanting to, probably(?) kill him.

(He'd never learned italian, ok?! He already heard so much shit from the man in English he'd prefer not having to hear it in the mans native language, alright?)

Verde was yanked out so quickly he barely felt anything other than a sting. They'd never been close, other then when the man had force-fed him poison and chemicals to test their reaction. He'd feel nothing if that fucker died.

Nothing!

( None of this is what Checker Face had promised him. He was supposed to have a new family. Not a monster of a man who wanted to test his 'immortality.'

He knew none of them believed him, but to go so far as to poison him? To kill him, over and over again just because he didn't believe?

No. That man was not part of his Family.

Not that Lightning. )

The banging from outside had stopped. With that last screech from the house Reborn had gone quiet. Skull still knew he was there. With how close he was to his own Flames right now, he could feel where his and Reborn's touched. He hated how even as his Flames tried to escape the mans, Reborn's clung on. Why couldn't he just leave him alone?

Taking a deep breath with half a mind still on untangling Reborn from himself, Skull lowered the tree cocoon. Reborn as standing there, but he'd known that. His hair was a mess, Leon nowhere in site. Skull could see his prized fedora crumbled up a ways away from them, like he'd thrown it in frustration. Reborn's eyes pinned him in place, hawk yellow.

"Change it back, череп." Reborn's voice was a low, aggressive snarl.

Skull felt as if he'd had the air knocked out of him. They'd promised. All of them. They'd promised to never use their dead names after the Fated Day.

"I won't be trapped again, Renato." If Reborn, the bastard, wanted to play rough well Skull knew all of his sore spots too.

"That's not what this is you cazzo!" He roared.

"That's exactly what this is!" Skull screamed back. He'd been bottling this all up for so long. He couldn't stop. All he'd wanted to do was leave. To never see these people again and they had to make it worse! They always made everything worse!

"What where you going to do, Reborn? When I told you I was leaving? You knew exactly what that motorcycle meant when you saw it! And you still have the чертов nerve to act like you weren't going to intimidate me back into that god-forsaken house?!"

Reborn looked taken aback. His mouth hung open unattractively and Skull had never felt such viciousness inside himself. If this is what normal Clouds felt like all the time he'd finally understood why they did what they did. This type of power was intoxicating.

"I won't go back! No matter what you do, no matter how much you hurt me, we will never be Family. I would rather die a thousand more deaths than spend anymore time thinking about any of you!" Skull screeched as loudly as he could. He hoped they heard! He hoped they all heard!

"And you.." Skull stalked up towards a tensely held Reborn. The look in his eyes was one he'd never seen there before. It could have even been respect, but it was far too late. "You can go suck a dick."

Skull ripped the last bond into shreds, marveling at how it took Reborn down hard. He didn't scream, which Skull wasn't very disappointed about. No matter how much he'd wanted to hate the man, he still respected him. Hate the Player not the Game as the saying went.

But damn did he look good down on his knees.

Skull took a fist full of Reborn's hair and jerked his head up. The angle was uncomfortable, he'd know since Reborn had put him in this exact same position more then once, but he didn't wince. His eyes were shocked for some reason. As shocked as Skull had ever seen the great Reborn be.

And he thought he was pretty sure why that was.

"What? Did you think I wouldn't break ours? Did you think I'd keep you after getting rid of all the others? Did you really think you were special?"

As much as Skull wanted to be mocking in this moment. To feel as powerful as he did minutes ago when they'd been screaming at each other, the broken bonds where getting to him to. All he wanted to do was lay down and cry in the dark for a few hours. But this had to be said.

"You're just a man, Re-na-to. You're a strong man. The strongest I've ever known, but you're not as almighty as you want to be. You didn't see this coming, did you?"

Бог, he was tired.

Skull sighed deeply and let go of Reborn's hair, petting it into place gently. He was done. Everything that needed to be said right then had been. He'd never see any of them again.

This was the end.

Turning towards his bike Skull was stopped short by his right ankle refusing to move. Looking down he stared at the long white fingers wrapped around it. He could feel Sun Flames in that hand and it was only getting hotter. Trying to jerk his ankle out of the hand did nothing, and it was still getting hotter!

When he bent down Skull was distracted from the pain for a split second, which was all it took for their eyes to connect before Reborn spoke. "I'll.. find you. So don't-" Reborn had to stop to breath through the horrible pain that had to be in his chest for a moment but his black eyes never left Skulls. "Don't go thinking… you can... escape me."

Skull wretched his ankle away from the fallen Sun and ran towards his bike, he had to leave. Now. He had to leave now.

Before that stupid man made him cry anymore.

"SKULL!"

(How dare he)

—

Skull found the scarred over burn on his ankle four days after he'd escaped the others. He'd been in the shower after checking into a shady motel. The burn was shiny and white, it looked exactly like Reborn's handprint. Just healed over for years instead of just a couple of days.

That asshole had to have the last fucking word didn't he? Even when he wasn't there! He'd used his fucking Sun Flames to mark him!

He really shouldn't be laughing at how dramatically petty it was though. No healthy person would be. But.. well… there was a reason he'd lasted as an Arcobaleno despite how much the others hadn't wanted him to in the beginning.

One that had nothing to do with his inability to die.

You'll never grasp it, never try to
And now I'm forced to break these bonds with you

Translations.

(Russian) Бог - God

(Russian) Он больше не будет в клетке! - He would not be caged again!

(Russian) домашних - Home

(Russian) семьи - Family

(Italian) Sfigato - Loser

(Italian) Cranio! Teschio maledizione, ti ucciderò! - Skull! Damn it Skull, I'm going to kill you!

(Italian) Rompicoglioni - pain in the ass!

(Italian) Lo giuro su Dio Teschio, se stai facendo quello che penso che stai facendo, non ti lascerò mai andare. Come osi. Come osi! Sei nostro! - I swear to God Skull, if you're doing what I think you're doing, I'll never let you go. How dare you. How dare you! You're ours!

(Russian )Череп -Cherep - Skull

(Italian) Cazzo - Prick

(Russian) чертов - Fucking