This is completely separate from the books. A mystery man Sanguine is working for takes control of the cleavers, making them attack on his command. The battle is over and everyone has made it, well, almost. Valduggery. Characters not owned by me and are all alive for this story.
The mist engulfed the fight which broke out between cleavers, and basically everyone else. Skulduggery watched the last cleaver fall to the floor. As he stood from his crouched position from where he had swiped the sword Tanith supplied, he called her name. "Valkyrie!" It sounded more like a question but was intended just as a call. "Val, we did it!" He turned to see but he couldn't see past the fog.
"Val?" If he had eyes he'd be squinting through the mist. "Skulduggery!" The sound was urgent and desperate, and it was Ghastly's. Skulduggery used all the force he had to push at the air and the mist started to fade. He could see Ghastly and Tanith. Tanith leaning over someone and ghastly standing over her, an arm on her shoulder.
Skulduggery's nonexistent heart stopped.
He stood still as the mist continued to fade. It couldn't be, it wasn't Valkyrie, surely. He took a step towards them as his vision became clear and he broke out into a sprint, stopping just a few feet away from her. Just laying there. China and Fletcher were there too, now crowding round her with Mr Bliss standing above, his features tight showing minimal emotion.
"Get out of my way!" Skulduggery shouted, although his voice cracked just barely, sounding more frightened than angry. Tanith let go of her hand and everyone stepped back to let skulduggery through. "Valkyrie?" He collapsed to his knees next to her and even without a face he looked lost.
"Hey," Valkyrie replied, her eyelids fluttering open and a half smile on her face. "Did we win?"
Skulduggery, a little relieved she was alive, cradled her head in his arm and lifted her head up slightly. "Yeah," he said softly, with that velvet voice Valkyrie so longed to hear.
"We did Valkyrie, you and me, against the world." She gazed up at him and knew he was smiling. "Sounds nice" she murmured.
Still staying on his knees, Skulduggery scooped Valkyrie up in his arms. Valkyrie rested her head against his chest.
"Am I going to be ok?" She asked looking up at him, a tear escaping and making its way down her cheek.
With a gloved finger, skulduggery wiped away the stray tear as she buried her face in his jacket, more out of embarrassment than anything. Valkyrie was strong and fearless, she didn't cry.
He took a moment to examine her wound. It was a bullet wound to her stomach. None of the cleavers had any guns which only meant that it had to have been Sanguine that shot her. He looked at her.
"You're going to be fine. You're going to be more than fine, you hear me, Val?" Valkyrie looked up at him again. "Skulduggery," she paused, panic starting to build up inside. "I'm scared" he held her closer to him, afraid he would lose her and his nonexistent heart shattered into a million pieces.
Valkyrie pulled on his tie and he bowed down until their foreheads were touching. "I'm not going anywhere" he said softly and another tear escaped her.
"I'm going to miss you" she whispered.
Skulduggery tilted his head, looking deep into her beautiful eyes, he didn't want her thinking that way, she was going to be fine and then they'll be back as partner and detective, unstoppable.
"I'm going to miss your big ego" she smiled, "Your insults and the banter, and your ability to make me feel better when I don't." Skulduggery pulled back a little so he could look into her large brown eyes. She reached her hand out and cupped Skulduggery's cheek. He put a gloved hand over it and held it there, leaning into the touch. "Promise me you'll make me feel better again." she asked, her voice cracking. "I promise." He replied without hesitation.
Mr Bliss had stood in the same position, swallowing hard and fighting back his emotions. China stood by his side, taking hold of his hand. Tanith had turned to ghastly and buried her head in his chest, holding onto his jacket and trying her hardest not to sob. Fletcher stood, unusually quiet. He had so many feelings he didn't know what to show, though nearly all were evident on his face. It was skulduggery who was acting the best at not showing his real emotions.
Valkyrie felt her limbs grow weaker and getting heavier. Oh my god. She thought. This is it. This is how I'm going to die. She thought of her parents, she'd never see them again, the reflection will live out her life and they'll never know. Then her thoughts were only on Skulduggery. What would she do without him? She didn't think she could be separated for more than a week without him and now she was dying. Valkyrie thought of her parents again, she knew they would tell her to be brave, it's not over for her.
"I don't want to be brave" she whimpered, eyes closed and tears pouring down her face. "Hey" his voice soft and velvet though it was, was hinged with sadness which Valkyrie hated to hear. He rested his forehead back to hers. "I said you're going to be fine, and when am I ever wrong, hey?" Her eyes stayed closed but this caused a smile on her part, but it was a weak one.
"Skulduggery" Valkyrie said, opening her eyes and breaking the contact of them being so close. She knew it was the last time to say this and she didn't quite know how she was meant to put it. He looked at her, into her eyes. "Skulduggery, I..." She closed her eyes again, she couldn't say it but she knew it was her last chance. "I love you" she said almost as a whisper keeping her eyes closed.
Valkyrie Cain loves me. His imaginary heart swelled at the thought
Valkyrie opened her eyes to look at him and he tilted his head in a way that she knew he was smiling. She smiled back. Skulduggery pushed a piece of hair out of her eye and sighed happily. "Valkyrie Cain, I -"
Valkyrie went limp in his arms and her eyes fluttered closed.