Hey people. I'm starting this series again. Hopefully I'll keep at it this time. Sorry for the bad writing and the delay in updates.

Why was I gone so long? Because of College and exams and other bullshit ie the time in my life where I have multiple breakdowns and slowly descend to my death. But hey its okay, I'm not suffering alone (I'll drag you all with me MWAHAHAHAHAHA etc).

Anyway, stay with me folks. I'll update more and change the previous chapters to make them more descriptive and, well better. I'm changing the story a little due to more awesome Skulduggery books being released. I'm leaving the full on romance theme as, well coz it's boring and cliché but I'll have subtle hints of it don't worry.

So here goes…

It was a dark stormy night. The wind was howling, the thunders were roaring, the birds were chirping.

Not outside of course. China Sorrows would never leave such valuable glowing white nuclear detonating birds outside. They chirped and hopped inside their metal cage which she placed on the table in the middle of the library.

China smiled and closed her eyes to the birds' tuneless chirps. To think such beautiful birds' posses such darks powers, she thought. With the right training they will be able to set off a nuclear explosion from within them, all in my command.

China picked up her tea and stirred it while staring out the big window beside her. Everything was silent besides the birds. Then suddenly there was a knock on the door which echoed through the house. China sighed and got up and walked to the door.

She slowly reached forward and gripped the handles while twisting the lock open.

Slowly she bent the handle and the door creaked open. Creaking doors, China thought, Annoying, must tell the butler to oil it.

There was a flash of lightning as a dark hooded figure approached her.

Is this the cue where I scream? She thought.

Valkyrie Cain stared at the new car that Skulduggery had driven to her house. It was a tiny squashed up VW Beetle. Not only was that but the colour was hot pink.

"Skulduggery, what happened to the Bentley this time?" she asked him.

"Nothing at all, why? Should anything have happened to the Bentley?" Skulduggery replied.

He was wearing his usual suit and hat while the creepy façade blinked back Val with glassy eyes. I like it better when he didn't have eyes, she thought.

"Then why do we have to go on a driving practice in a pink midget?" she complained.

"Well you can hardly think that I'll allow you to practice your driving in the Bentley,can you? This car is perfectly fine and durable against all the crashes you're going to endure. Besides, guess what! I bought you a matching learner license plate!" Skulduggery said as he pulled out a pink square Learner plate with a Black L on it.

"Good god! Well, couldn't you think of a better colour?" Valkyrie asked.

"I thought all girls like pink,"

"And am I a normal girl?"

"No, you're right. You're abnormal. Darn I should have bought a more secure car," he said.

Valkyrie laughed and swiped at him but as usual he jumped nimbly out of the way.

"Ok, let's get this over with," Valkyrie sighed as she opened the car door and hopped onto the driver's seat as Skulduggery went to his.

"Key," she said stretching her hand out. Skulduggery passed her a silver key with a Hawaiian bobble-head hula doll key ring.

Valkyrie grumbled and went to inject the key into the hole when it suddenly flew out of her hand.

"Seat belt," said Skulduggery twirling the key in the air around his finger.

"Valkyrie, watch the road!"

"I'm watching, I'm watching!" she screamed back at Skulduggery. She gripped the steering wheel in both hands and swiveled the car in a 360 turn around the roundabout, into the wrong lane towards a huge bulking a truck.

Two gloved hands grabbed the steering wheel and twisted it to the left. The car went screeching and skidding against the footpath and missing the truck by an eyelash.

"Brake Valkyrie! Brake!" yelled he yelled.

"Brake? Oh yes!" said Valkyrie as she stamped her foot on the brake. Instantly the car jolted to a halt as the truck and its angry (and very red) driver tooted past while swearing curses.

"What on earth were you doing?!" said Skulduggery staring at her. With those glassy eyes. Again. Damn I'm going to poke them out I swear, Val thought.

"I'm sorry I kinda lost control,... but you did say this car was durable!" Valkyrie retorted.

"I meant as in trees and lamp-posts, NOT a truck carrying cows!"

The truck was carryingcows?! But then again we are in a farming area. Val thought looking around.

"Even if the car is durable," Skulduggery went on, "The passengers aren't. And certainly not those poor cows"

"You and your cows!"

Skulduggery opened his mouth to say something when suddenly his phone went off. He dug into his suit pocket and brought out his phone.

"Oh Great Elder! What an unexpected surprise!" Skulduggery gasped. "Yes, I'm sorry Ghastly, I couldn't help it."

Valkyrie chuckled and shook her head.

"Huh? Oh yes of course. Really? That is strange. Absolutely, we'll be their faster than…er…faster than you can BREAK DANCE!" Skulduggery said as he snapped his phone shut.

"Faster than you can break dance?" Val looked at him incredulously.

"I'm losing my edge. Like a midlife crisis…kind of."

"That makes no sense. Anyway, what did he want?"

"You'll find out when you get there" He replied. He turned and looked at her. "Get out of the car." he ordered, opening his door. Valkyrie however stayed put until Skulduggery came to her door and opened.

"Your majesty," he said as he opened her door, with a bow.

"Funny Skulduggery, but I'm still driving whether you like it or not. This will probably be the last time I'll ever have a driving practice before we go jumping into another case again."

He gave her a glassy look.

"Please!" she cried covering her eye. "Don't look at me with those eyes, damnit. I promise I won't kill us!"

"Valkyrie, we don't have time for this. Besides, I'm the expert driver slash mentor and you're the learner slash Cadet. I can drive really fast without crashing into trucks since I'm the EXPERT. Anyway, a good mentor never lets the cadet go speeding while learning."

"Well the cadet says the "expert" better shut his mouth and get in his seat or the cadet will drive away without him," Valkyrie replied giving him a "try me" glare. Skulduggery laughed but then stopped and looked back at her.

"You're not serious."

Valkyrie answered by shutting her door.

"Wait!" Skulduggery said as he ran to his side of the car and got into his seat.

"You're so annoying you know that?" He mumbled and then sighed. "Well then Cadet, drive away. And look out for cows. I mean trucks!"

Valkyrie grinned and pressed down on the accelerator.