How do you like this one?

It's also based on the assumption that the world gets saved from the Darquesse stuff

Chapter 1: insanity is nice

Skulduggery could hear the screaming, which surprisingly came from him, though he suspected that agonizing pain from pure necromantic energy was a good reason to scream. Skulduggery could see the panicking faces of Valkyrie Cain as they watched the skeleton detective being enveloped by pitch black tendrils of lifeless energy that were slowly draining away whatever semblance of life Skulduggery had contained in the brittle container he liked to call his skull. His original skull.

Seeing no other way to prevent the necromantic dark energy from draining away that small thing Skulduggery liked too call his life-force, Skulduggery took the stance that he had been taught by his older brother but never had actually used, the stance that allowed him to embrace the earth and actually become it…

It was the earth power stance.

"Shrike, please tell us another one of your tales!" one of the once-born begged.

"Yeah, but what was the jee-ess ball, anyway?" another on asked thoughtfully.

Shrike looked at out of the circular window at the setting sun thoughtfully. He supposed he could tell them about that before the sun went down. It was a short tale, after all.

Or at least it was shorter than some.

"DARKNESS." The ancient stalker started in his sqeaky and metallic voice, startling several once-born who had just been leaving the room. "ALL SKULDUGGERY COULD SEE WAS…"

…Darkness. No matter how much he turned his head all Skulduggery could see was darkness. This was not, he reflected, the happy darkness where you've just been knocked out and have only now regained regained consciousness and the darkness was because the person hadn't opened his eyes. No, this was the terrifying dreaming darkness that usually happens after nice dreams and hot chocolate.

Skulduggery liked to get his priorities right.

He also liked to have some proof that he was insane.

Fortunately this proof presented itself in the usual way that proof does: drilling in from the ceiling, looking around and exclaiming "Oh, great Poskitt, it's a walkin' skeleton!"

Skulduggery preferred being insane, insanity was always a great laugh at parties.

The mayor of Charyngran leaned back on his chair and watched Shane with cold and calculating eyes,"Do you accept this offer, Mr…?"

Shane mentally winced: people always did that, "Charon sycamore leaf-green Poskittus…"

"Ah, I don't think I'll be needing the full list." The mayor said hurriedly, "You can start the excavation work on Thursday, which is tomorrow. Which might mean that you would want to-."

"I know what I might want to do, sir." Shane assured him smoothly, before walking out of the mayor's office.

Though as he closed the door he heard the mayor say: "Please make sure that you find something, you know it would be simply terrible if you didn't find anything…"

The next day

Shane fidgeted nervously as the crew that he commandeered worked on the excavation, what if he didn't find anything? What if-?

His mental questioning was cut short by a skeleton. The skeleton leaped out of the hole with a fire-ball in its hand and looked around, before focusing on Shane.

"Well." It said, "I'm back."

Shane fainted.

What do you think?