Valkyrie groaned, and sat up. "I told you it was a trap," she said.
"No, you said it looked like it was a trap," Skulduggery corrected. "That's completely different."
He helped her up as a door opened behind them and Sadistica Tortura walked through, an unsettling smile on her lips.
"Hello Vile," she greeted with a plastic grin. "Rumour has it that you're getting into more trouble these days than unusual. You and me could get into disastrous, life-threatening situations again. What do you say?"
Valkyrie cursed under her breath. More and more evil guys were trying to recruit Skulduggery daily due to his twisted past.
"Nice to see you again!" Skulduggery lavished gloating. "You sadistic old git. Still feeding on the souls of innocents, I presume. Our days are long gone!"
Tortura was taken aback by the mere thought of Skulduggery not having the cruel heart of Vile that she staggered backwards. Taking his opportunity, Skulduggery leapt at the Necromancer before realising that he was chained to the cell walls. Damm!
"Oh, great!" Valkyrie sighed. "All we need now is for some idiotic Hollow Men to patrol in, waving piercing scythes at our throat."
Speak of the devils; two Hollow Men marched in, aiming pointed scythes at the necks of the prisoners.
"Just shut up and let me handle this," ordered the skeletal corpse detective. "We've been in stickier situations, I assure you that!"
"Have we?"
"No but it helps build up my confidence if I brag!"
"Oh."
"Shut up!"
Being Tortura, their captor just smirked as the pair bickered like an old married couple. Being Hollow men, their risen foes just stood there, looking menacing as the showed off their brandished weapons. "Are you done yet?" interrupted Tortura. "I don't want to annoy you two but I have a Sanctuary to invade!"
"Oh yeah," Skulduggery groaned at this major inconvenience. "About that… Valkyrie!"
Jet back hair flowing down her neck, Valkyrie sent a flickering inferno spiralling at each of the Hollow Men. Their papery skin crumpled like… well, paper… as they burned away into nothing more than scattered ashes.
"You have just played with fire Tortura!" cackled Valkyrie as she sent a roundhouse kick directly under the chin. Her opponent tumbled to the ground. "Next time, make your chains fireproof."
It was then that Valkyrie made a vital error. Turning her back on Tortura to free Skulduggery gave Tortura enough time to use her trump card. Her thought-to-be unconscious opponent drew her Soul Blade and slit Valkyrie's leg. Not even Ghastly's tailored clothes could protect her. Valkyrie's soul was tore from her body for Tortura to feast on.
But before Tortura could even taste her delicacy, a bony fist dug itself into her ribs. For real this time, Tortura had lost. Valkyrie's soul reattached itself to her body but still left her in a state of limbo. However much he didn't trust him, Skulduggery was taking Valkyrie to Doctor Nye. Once again, the skeletal hero had succeeded.