Lalalala neeeew story!

Valkyrie Cain slammed the door shut to her old Mustang. She frowned as the small summer rain shower spit on her head and got her black jacket wet. The light thunder rumbled far off. Her necromancy necklace jangled as she stepped around the deserted streets and waltzed into the old tattoo shop.

"Finbar!" she called out. "Are you in here?"

"Valkyrie!" someone's voice called out. "What are you doing here?" There was a loud crash and clang, and soon, Finbar Wrong came out of the back room. His face was still studded with piercings, and his skinny arms were visible. The tattoos were still shown prominently.

"Finbar I called you before, asking if I could come over," Valkyrie said. "I need to take a few things back."

"Oh right, right…Hey boys!" he shouted to the ceiling. "Come on down and help your old friend. I've got someone else in the back." Valkyrie nodded and gave a wave as Finbar tottered off, humming a few lines from a song Valkyrie had never heard. She laughed quietly as the stampede began above her head. Heavy boots clomped down the rickety stairs, and thuds and scrapes were heard.

"Val!"

"Val!"

"Val!" Finbar Wrong's triplets shouted. They all had multiple piercings like their father, but each had Sharon's eyes and her hair. Finbar's face was etched in each of their smiling faces. They were 26 each.

"Hey boys," she greeted them. "I need help finding some things."

"We love finding things!" Ringo Stack grinned.

"I could draw it for you!" Miles Jagger said.

Donahue Taylor smirked. "Anything for you, Val."

She chuckled. "I need two boxes. One is a green cylinder type thing, with a bow on the top. The other is a purple suitcase. Remember those?" The three boys nodded and scattered around the room.

"Why are we always the ones to store things for people?" Miles wondered aloud as he tossed boxes aside to make way.

"We're excellent finders!" Ringo grinned.

"Everyone must want to see our handsome faces," Donahue said, shooting a look at Valkyrie. She raised an eyebrow but remained quiet.

"I got the suitcase," Ringo shouted and came bounding up to Valkyrie. He passed it delicately to her.

"Thank you, Ringo," she grinned and rattled the suitcase.

"And I have the box," Donahue Taylor said after a few moments. "It seems to still be in perfect condition. It much resembles a certain lady…"

"Please Donahue," Valkyrie smirked, "don't ever try that on anyone ever. That's a guarantee slap in the face." Donahue frowned. She gave a little wave and began towards the door. "I'll see you sometime soon, boys. Tell your parents they're friggin' awesome."

"We will!"

"We will!"

"We will!"

Valkyrie pulled open the flimsy door and made her way to her old Mustang. She deposited the old suitcase and box in the car and suddenly frowned. There was a slight hissing sound coming from the ground. She bent down and stared at her leaking tire.

"Oh, thank you magical world!" she shouted. "I appreciate this." Valkyrie kicked the tire and yanked out her phone. She dialed the number and held it up to her ear.

"Valkyrie?" Skulduggery answered.

"Some jerk-face cut my tire. Come and get me please?" She leaned up against the car as the rain fell steadier and stronger.

"Alright, we'll head over soon."

"Kay, hurry so I don't get drenched please!" Valkyrie said. She giggled and cut the call, placing her phone back in her pocket. Valkyrie Cain turned slowly at the sound of scuffing feet. She barely caught site of two people, one person who looked to be female, the other male when something hard and blunt hit her head, and she was out like a light.

A Week Later

"You saw nothing?" Skulduggery Pleasant asked Donahue Taylor, Miles Jagger, and Ringo Stack again. The three men shook their heads. "No scream, no yelling, not people getting beat up?"

"We didn't hear anything."

"We didn't hear anything."

"We didn't hear anything."

"Not even me, Skul-Man. I've got the keen hearing, you know," Finbar added from his seat across the room. "Sorry, but I think my army's telling the truth…or maybe not."

Skulduggery sighed and nodded once. "If you notice anything or recall anything let me know." The four men waved goodbye and quickly dispersed around the room. Skulduggery Pleasant left the tattoo shop swiftly, climbed into the Bentley, not saying anything to the girl next to him.

"Why am I not allowed in there again?" she asked.

"Because being in there gave your mother the crazy idea of getting a tattoo."

"But she was well over the age limit to get one."

"No difference."

Abigail Pleasant scowled and turned and face the window. "Did they have anything useful to say?" she asked as the car started up and turned down the street.

"Nothing of importance. They didn't see or hear anything. No scream."

"Do you think they snuck up behind her?"

"They had to have. I don't believe Valkyrie Cain would stand by and let someone kidnap her and keep her in hiding for a week without saying or doing anything."

Abby nodded. "Mike the Mustang wasn't touched at all, right?"

Skulduggery sighed and muttered something about naming everything in the world. "No, Mike was untouched. No windows smashed and/or locks picked. Someone did cut the tire, making it impossible for Valkyrie to get anywhere."

"So whoever kidnapped her, wanted her to stay there?"

"It would seem so."

Abby sighed and faced the window. "Who do you think did this?"

He shrugged. "Who hates your mother most?"

"That vampire guy…but he's in jail, isn't he? We would have gotten word that he escaped, right?"

"This is true. Who else?"

"Sanguine. He'd want to kidnap Mom," she muttered. "He said he'd do anything to make sure she was dead the last time we saw him."

"When did we last see him?" Skulduggery asked quietly.

"He was in a jail cell, suspended above ground. He couldn't escape, unless he cut the bars."

"Sanguine seems to be out, then, as well. Anyone else you can think of?"

"Scapegrace?"

"I never count him as a threat, and he can barely punch anyone. I don't think he'd be able to steal your mother without being overcome by her. Think of anyone else?"

Abby shook her head. "There's no one else that comes to mind."

Skulduggery nodded and turned the corner smoothly. "That seems to rule out the main suspects. Now, who hates me?"

"Everyone," she replied.

The skeleton glared at her from under his sunglasses. "Very funny, child. Now, again, who hates me?"

"I'm not sure. Why would they kidnap Valkyrie Cain, and not their enemy?"

"Think," he said smartly.

Abigail paused and wracked her brains. "Because…they could get to you through her? Half of the world knows you guys are partners, in quite a few more ways than in crime. But the only person I think of when it comes to hating you is Grandpa Kenspeckle."

He laughed and turned left. "That's very true. I don't believe that the Professor would kidnap Valkyrie, however."

"He totally loves her."

"Agreed. And you're the least hated person in this world, I believe, so no one will come to get her because of you," he said.

"Well, I'll work on being more terrible, like you. Why are we home?" Abby glanced out the window at Gordon's mansion. "I thought we were going other places."

"It's nine o'clock," Skulduggery replied, pulling to the curb and climbing out the car. Abby climbed out her passenger seat side. "We had a deal: you're going to school tomorrow, then we go get Tanith, Ghastly comes over, Fletcher might come, and then the next day you have off."

She groaned. "I hate these deals you make. They suck."

"Didn't you openly admit you'd go to school for that one specific person?" Skulduggery joked as he led the way inside.

She blushed. "Shut up," she muttered and closed the door behind them both. "I talk to Mike everyday."

Skulduggery sighed wistfully. "Ahh, young love! How marvelous it is."

"Dad!" she shouted and slapped his arm. "Stop it!"

"Yeah, geez, Skulduggery," came a cocky voice from behind them. Both turned slowly and stared at the idiot in their kitchen. Fletcher Renn beamed back, but frowned slightly. "What, no welcome? I haven't seen you guys in forever!"

"Last month, Fletcher," Skulduggery replied. "Weren't you coming tomorrow, though?"

"I figured I could breeze in a bit early. Plus, my I missed my favorite niece-type-thing!" Fletcher Renn smiled and winked over at Abby. "How goes the investigation?"

"Terrible," Abby muttered and turned and waltzed out of the kitchen. "Don't talk about your man things really loud again. That was a terrible night." She smirked and swiftly turned the corner and bounded up the stairs. She opened the door to her room, and immediately noticed the picture of her mother and father atop her dresser. It had fallen over when she had rushed to grab a shirt. She flipped the picture up and sighed quietly. No matter what, she'd find her mother again.

So…here's the first chapter! Hope you liked! And apologies for any mistakes. I proofread, but I always miss a few minor ones.

:D