Have some Robin/Anton talk. Also I finally read Armageddon Outta Here? And I can't believe that it's actually canon that Hopeless is a shapeshifter? Why did no one tell me? So I'm gonna do a rewrite after this chapter because I can't stand the non compliance :) The story will be pretty much the same, it'll just be a bit different around Hopeless. This chapter onwards is with Hopeless as a shape shifter.
00000000000000
Robin Larrikin nudged the Cleaver's torso with his foot before nodding, "Yup, he's dead."
Dexter snorted, "What gave it away? The blood or the lack of head?"
As soon as the Cleavers had arrived for the would-be Vampires at Valkyrie's school, Dexter left for the Midnight Hotel which had parked roughly twenty minutes away from the Sanctuary and picked up Robin before they made their way to the docks, checking in on the Cleavers who were supposed to be keeping watch for Baron Vengeous.
It was pretty safe to assume that the Baron had arrived in Ireland, seeing as said Cleavers were lying on the docks, headless with their brains and blood splattering against the side of a boat.
Dexter sent photos to Hopeless, slipping his phone into his pocket before speaking, "So, how was Australia?"
Robin immediately brightened, "Amazing!" He gushed, "And hot- Anton left me there for a couple of days and when he came back, I had dyed my green!"
Dexter snorted, shaking his head. Typical Robin.
"He refused to speak to me until I fixed it, though," Robin added, "So, I slipped dye into his shampoo instead!"
Dexter gaped at him as he sat down in the driver's seat of his car, "How are you alive?" He asked cautiously, "I can imagine his reaction."
Robin grinned widely, "He loves me too much to try and kill me," He said cheerfully before sobering, "I'm thinking about proposing."
Again, Dexter snorted as he started the car, "You told me you were going to propose before I left for Casablanca in the 30s and you told Satya you were going to do so well over two hundred years ago," He reminded the redhead.
Robin shrugged, "This time I mean it," He said, "As soon as we get Baron Vengeous and his little minions, I'll do it." His smile fell slightly, "I almost lost him last year with Serpine- He was really badly hurt and I don't remember him ever being that hurt since the War."
Dexter could hear the pure worry and concern in Robin's voice. It was easy to forget, sometimes, how close and intimate Robin and Anton were. They were the stark opposites of each other; Robin being loud and seemingly always happy while Anton was closed off and muted. Not to mention the fact that Anton hated outward affection, so it was a rare moment when anyone would see the two act like lovers. It had taken Valkyrie about a month to realise that they were in fact together.
Dexter's thoughts were interrupted by Robin's loud ringtone. "Hey, Bones!" Robin answered cheerfully before frowning, "We know, we just found the Cleavers' bodies."
Dexter frowned.
"Ah... Are they okay?"
After a few moments, Robin nodded, "Okay, we'll meet you there then." He hung up.
"What news?"
"The Baron, Dusk and a new guy called Billy-Ray attacked China, Satya and Erskine. They're fine though. Billy-Ray managed to grab Valkyrie and pulled her through a wall but Tanith stopped him," Robin told him, "We're rendezvousing at the Sanctuary."
Dexter answered by taking a sharp U-turn, causing Robin to swear loudly as he grabbed the handles.
00000000000000
"Oh, thank god!" Melissa flung herself at her daughter, wrapping her in a tight hug.
"Mum-" Valkyrie managed out, "C-Can't breathe-!"
Melissa held on for a few moments before letting go, composing herself before speaking, "I was so worried, Steph," She said, checking to see that Valkyrie was alright.
"I'm fine, Mum," Valkyrie reassured her with a grin, "All in a days work, right?"
Satya said nothing pushing past them to go into Hopeless' office, Erskine and Tanith following close behind. Skulduggery, however, waited silently behind the girl.
Melissa sighed, then nodded, kissing her quickly on the forehead, "I should probably get back to work," She said with a sigh, "Will you be home for dinner?"
"Most likely," Skulduggery answered, "I wanted to stop by Gordon's place to see if he had any information on what we're working on. I can drop her home after."
Melissa nodded, "Call if something changes." She left after giving Valkyrie another kiss on the forehead before leaving.
"Are mothers always so overbearing?" Valkyrie wondered aloud with a sigh.
"Oh yes," Skulduggery nodded solemnly, "I remember my own wouldn't let me leave the house lest the wolves got in."
Valkyrie stared at in shock, "Seriously?"
"Of course not, I was way too scary for those wolves."
Valkyrie grinned, "See that's funny because Satya told me you had a stutter and were like -" She held her hand slightly above her head, "ye high when you met- Some scary kid."
She could tell Skulduggery was glaring at her.
"Speaking of Satya," He said smoothly as he reached to rest his hand on Hopeless' office door handle, "When were you planning on telling me that you knew about her and China?"
Valkyrie snorted, "Finally figured it out, have you?" She shook her head with a grin, following him inside, "Some detective."
"-Billy-Ray character," Tanith was saying, "He sounds like an arsehole."
"Indeed he is," Skulduggery said, "I made contact with a few American friends-"
"You have friends?" Satya asked innocently.
"-who said he's a burrower- Slightly obvious- and a hit-man for hire. And even more interestingly enough, Dreylan Scarab's son," Skulduggery finished, pretending Satya hadn't spoken.
"I happened to find out while you were off adventuring about someone who may know where Vengeous hid the Grotesquery," Hopeless said, "Gordon was working on a book about the whole affair when he died," He explained, "He may have hidden away some important information."
Skulduggery nodded, "I said the same thing before," He said smoothly, "It seems unlikely that Gordon would research so much about the Faceless Ones and Ancients but not the Grotesquery."
Hopeless nodded, seeming slightly flustered.
"What is it?" Satya asked sharply, "You seem on edge."
"I-" He hesitated slightly, "Guild is giving me strange vibes. It reminds me of..." He shared a look with her before looking at Skulduggery and clearing his throat, "Anyway, Saracen called. Anton is docking in Russia and they should be back here tomorrow morning."
Tanith stood, seemingly confused, "I'll follow you on the bike," She told Skulduggery and Valkyrie, "I want to finish reading."
Valkyrie was just as confused as she was at the exchange but laughed, "Of course you do," She said with a grin. Tanith was an avid Gordon Edgley fan and never failed to offer to come with Valkyrie whenever she visited the mansion.
"Now, if that's all," Satya stood, resting a hand on Erskine's shoulder, "I'm going to go home and take a nice, long bath- I'm sure you all can save the world without me for the day?"
Hopeless nodded is approval, "You too, Erskine- Dexter and Robin will be here if anything urgent comes up."
Erskine got up, "I might go and bother Ghastly for a little bit," He said with a grin, "That asshole Texan managed to catch my jacket," He gestured to the tear on his jacket.
Valkyrie pulled out the straight razor that had caused the tear, "I may or may not have stolen this from said asshole," She said.
"Careful," Hopeless warned, "Sanguine doesn't seem like the forgiving type."
00000000000000
Skulduggery and Valkyrie pulled into Gordon's driveway. Tanith's roaring motorcycle came to a halt beside them. She expertly kicked down her stand, pulling off her helmet and shaking out her blonde hair with a grin.
"I couldn't have gone with her," Valkyrie said, slightly glum.
"And leave me to explain to your mother why her daughter went splat on the motorway? I don't think so."
Valkyrie pulled a face as she got out of the Bentley.
"How's school?" Tanith asked.
"Meh- Pretty boring. I'm starting to wish I never told my parents so I could just use my reflection full time and stay working at the Sanctuary," Valkyrie confessed, "I learn way more from you guys than I do in the stupid classroom."
"Fair enough," Tanith said, "But there are still some skills that you can learn in school that can help in the real world."
"You didn't even go to high school," Valkyrie said with a grin, "How could you possibly know?"
"Case in point," Skulduggery commented dryly, unlocking Gordon's front door with the key Valkyrie tossed him.
"Oi," Tanith warned good-naturedly, "Not like you can talk."
"I still find it hard to believe you're a fan," Valkyrie said as they walked in. The hall was grand, with Gothic paintings on the walls. They passed through into the living room.
"Your uncle was the best writer ever," Tanith said. "Why wouldn't I be a fan?"
"You just, I don't know, you don't really strike me as being the type. It's like when your friend thinks that your dad is the coolest guy in the world, y'know? It just seems a little silly."
"Well, there was nothing silly about your uncle's writing. Did I tell you that one of his short stories was based on something that happened to me?"
"You told me. Many times."
"I never met him, but he must have heard about it somehow. Maybe Skulduggery heard it, and he told Gordon."
"Nope," Skulduggery answered, pulling off his coat, "Wasn't me. Probably Hopeless."
Tanith stood in the center of the living room, gazing around with a slightly wistful look on her face. "And this is where Gordon lived. This is where he wrote his masterpiece. You're a lucky girl, Val. What was it like, having an uncle like Gordon Edgley?"
"We're not getting into this conversation," Valkyrie said. "Not again." She went to the bookshelf, took down a book bound in black, and handed it to Tanith. Tanith bit her lip.
And the Darkness Rained upon Them was the last thing Gordon Edgley had written. It was set to be published in a few months, but Valkyrie had let Tanith read the advance copy. Every time Tanith was at the house, she devoured another few chapters until it was time to go. She loved coming here, and seized every chance she had to drop by.
Without another word spoken, Tanith took the book to the couch, curled up, and resumed reading.
"Now can we get to work?" Skulduggery asked, "I did promise your mum that you would be home for dinner."
Valkyrie shook her head at him but followed him upstairs to Gordon's study. Unlike the rest of the house, Gordon's study was a chaotic affair, a mass of straining shelves and piles of stacked manuscripts. She went to the bookshelf that covered the far wall, scanning the titles. This was where he had kept his research material. Very occasionally, Valkyrie would find books on magic in this room that she hadn't been able to find even in the library of China Sorrows.
"So, are you going to the family reunion?" Skulduggery asked curiously as they began looking through the titles in the room.
"I don't want to," Valkyrie answered, "But Mum said unless the world is ending and you lot can't handle it without me then I'm going."
"It might do you good," Skulduggery said offhandedly, "You spend far to much time with us."
Valkyrie narrowed her eyes, "Are you trying to get rid of me?"
Skulduggery did the equivalent of a splutter, his shoulders slumping, "No- I'm simply saying you need to remember you are a teenager too. As much as Robin acts like a child, he isn't one and you do need to spend some time around people your own age."
Valkyrie traced the titles of the books with a sigh, "I go to school, don't I?"
"I suppose so."
"That's more than enough time around idiots my own age, I think." Valkyrie's fingertip stopped on a thick, leather-bound book with no title on its spine. She'd seen it before but had never paid it much attention. She tried slipping it from the shelf, but it wouldn't budge. Frowning, she gripped it and pulled. It came out halfway and stuck, and then the wall started to move.
"No freaking way," She stumbled back, eyes wide.
"Well," Skulduggery tilted his head, "Slightly unexpected."
"Just a bit, yeah."
The bookshelf swung open before her, revealing a room as black as night.
A secret room. An actual real, secret room.
Not bothering to subdue the excited grin that spread across her face, Valkyrie stepped in. The room immediately lit up with candles. Like the study, the secret room was lined with shelves, and on those shelves were objects both alien and familiar.
Before her was a table, and on that table a blue jewel, nestled in a golden claw centerpiece. A faint light within the jewel started to glow as she stepped closer, and a man faded up from nothing on the other side of the room.
Portly. Wearing brown slacks and a matching waistcoat over a shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. Sandy hair that perched on top of his head like a loose bale of straw, shot through with gray. He turned and his eyes widened when he saw them.
"Oh snap," Valkyrie muttered.
"Oh snap, indeed," Skulduggery said smoothly, "Gordon, it has been awhile."
"Steph? Skulduggery-" Gordon Edgley's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, "Oh dear- If the two of you are here together then things must be bad-"
"I've started to think that nothing could surprise me," Skulduggery said, oddly calm despite the fact that a dead old friend had just appeared, "But you've decided to prove me wrong."
"How are you here?!" Valkyrie exclaimed.
"Oh, well, I'm not. Not really. This isn't me. I mean, I am me, but I'm not. See the blue jewel? It's very rare; it's called an Echo Stone, and generally it's used—"
"I know about Echo Stones."
"You do?"
"People sleep with the Stone close by for three nights, and by doing so, they imprint it with their personality."
"Oh. Yes, you're quite right," he said, and looked a little disappointed. "It's generally used by the dying, to help their loved ones through their grief, or to answer any lingering questions they might have, things like that. For me, however, it was more like a writing aid."
"A writing aid?"
"I imprinted my consciousness onto the Stone. Or rather, the real Gordon imprinted me onto the
erally it's used—"
"I know about Echo Stones."
"You do?"
"People sleep with the Stone close by for three nights, and by doing so, they imprint it with their personality."
"Oh. Yes, you're quite right," he said, and looked a little disappointed. "It's generally used by the dying, to help their loved ones through their grief, or to answer any lingering questions they might have, things like that. For me, however, it was more like a writing aid."
"A writing aid?"
"I imprinted my consciousness onto the Stone. Or rather, the real Gordon imprinted me onto the Stone. He comes in whenever he's stuck on a plot point or when he needs a new perspective on a story, or when he just wants a conversation with someone who can actually challenge him, intellectually. We have some pretty interesting talks, let me tell you."
"That is quite genius," Skulduggery said, "And nothing less than what I expected from Gordon Edgley."
"Why didn't you- he- just use a reflection?" Valkyrie asked quizzically, "I mean, same dramatic flair- more actual humanness."
"Well, I don't know!" Gordon huffed, "Maybe I'm too amazing for there to be two of me! Why don't you ask the real Gordon?!"
"Ah..." Skulduggery shared a glance with Valkyrie like Who's going to break it to him?
"Do you remember the last time you spoke with Gordon—the other Gordon, the real Gordon?"
His eyes narrowed. "Why? Stephanie, what's wrong?"
She hesitated. "My name is Valkyrie."
"Valerie?"
"Valkyrie. With a k. Valkyrie Cain. You left this house to me in your will."
He stared at her. "Oh. Oh no."
"Yeah..." Valkyrie trailed off, "I met the Dead Men and they've been taking care of me!" She said, trying to sound upbeat, "And Mum and Dad- Even Fergus- know about magic!"
He covered his face with his hands.
She waited for him to look up. When he didn't, she searched for words to fill the silence. "I understand that this must come as a shock. …"
Finally, he raised his head. "How did I die?"
"Nefarian Serpine killed you," Valkyrie said, as gently as she could under the circumstances. "Well, killed Gordon. Killed you, I suppose. …"
"Serpine killed me? Then he has the Scepter! Quickly, Stephanie, we have no time to lose—"
"Don't worry, he's dead," Skulduggery cut him off, "All taken care of. We have bigger problems as of right now."
"We're trying to track down this nut job who escaped from prison, Baron Vengeous."
"Vengeous?" Echo-Gordon said. "He's out?"
"We think he wants to bring the Grotesquery to life."
Echo-Gordon's eyes bulged. "The Grotesquery? That is quite unfair! I've been meaning to write a book about that whole thing, and now I'm dead!"
"That is very unfair," Skulduggery said, nodding in agreement. "So do you know anything about it?"
"A little, I suppose. I don't have any books about it, but I know that it was put together from bits and pieces of some quite impressive creatures. I didn't think it was possible to bring it to life, though."
"We're trying to figure that out too."
Echo-Gordon shook his head in awe. "Astounding. Genuinely astounding. It's got a stinger, apparently, from a Helaquin, and parts of a Shibbach were grafted on. From what I've read, Baron Vengeous had to rearrange its insides entirely, give it a whole new set of internal organs. The heart he gave it, from a Cu Gealach, is on the right side, and lower than usual, about here." He gestured to his own ribs.
"If it does come back, would destroying its heart be enough to kill it?"
"Oh yes. Kill it stone dead."
"Then … that's how we kill it, right? Simple."
"Not quite. Because most of it is comprised of a Faceless One, it will heal quickly. The stronger it gets, the faster it will heal, until it suffers no injuries at all. It would take an awful lot to damage the Grotesquery while it's at full strength, I'm afraid. Have you found it yet?"
"No, we don't even know where to start looking."
"You should ask the Torment." Skulduggery stiffened
"Who?" Valkyrie asked.
"A few years ago, I heard a rumor that a man called the Torment might know where the Grotesquery is hidden."
"I know who he is," Skulduggery said, "And we just happened to bring someone into the Sanctuary who knows where he is. Thank you, Gordon, you have been a tremendous help."
"Want to come with us?" Valkyrie offered, "You don't have to be active but...You can sit in my house or something?"
Echo-Gordon was nodding enthusiastically at that idea.
000000000000000
Skulduggery dropped Valkyrie off at her house along with the echo-stone before driving down a couple of streets and stopping outside Satya's house.
He went inside, opening the door before calling, "Satya?"
"In the kitchen!" Came her reply.
He went into the kitchen to find her sitting at the breakfast bar, a few books open on her bench with notes scattered about. She turned as he walked in, flashing him a warm smile. She wore a robe, her hair tied back in a bun as she worked.
"I thought I said the world could manage without me for a while," Satya said teasingly, "Or has everything gone to shit already? I haven't received any calls."
"This is more personal business," He said, unwrapping his scarf from around his skull as he sat down in an armchair. Her forehead furrowed slightly as she dropped her pen, sliding so she was facing him, "What's happened?" She asked.
"I finally figured out about you and China," Skulduggery confessed.
"Ah," Satya looked away, the corners of her lips lifting sightly, "You don't have to worry, Skulduggery, it's just sex."
"I wanted to tell you to be careful," He said quietly, his skull not giving away any emotion, "China's not exactly trustworthy-"
"She may not be trustworthy, but she's no Abyssinia, Skul," Satya said lightly, "I know you never trusted her fully after the war and I certainly don't either. I use her as much as she uses me and I'm fine with that. Trust me, the second she starts showing some psychopathic tendencies, I'll put the bullet in her myself."
Skulduggery nodded, "I'm just doing what I promised and looking-"
"Out for me," Satya finished, "I know and I appreciate it," She said with a smile, "I really do."
Skulduggery stood, "Always and forever," He reminded her.
Satya tilted her head, her eyes full with an emotion he couldn't place, "Always and forever," She repeated in a murmur.
