Chapter 28: Torture and Sympathy

A/N: Hmm, I seem to have forgotten that there are indeed China fans out there…Oops. WELL JUST SO YOU KNOW…*cough* she ends up getting saved, because Val and Skul are freaking NICE. So, there, everything is DAPPER in the end.


Skulduggery lay in bed that night trying t soak in every new piece of information about their case and their lives. China was kidnapped somehow, which oddly followed the pattern of Jack Horrid's murder. Skulduggery still wondered why the pair of murderers had chosen that gambler for a target. Had he said something to them he shouldn't have? Did he make a deal and not fulfill his part?

Great, there was no evidence whatsoever in both crime scenes, except of course in Jack Horrid's where he was stretched into a pretzel. Skulduggery knew two things as of the moment. He hated China with a burning passion, but if he and Valkyrie screwed up, China would also face a twisty fate.

"Skul, are you alright?" Valkyrie suddenly asked, feeling Skulduggery go rigid next to her.

Skulduggery was quiet for a long while before whispering back, "No…No I'm not."

Valkyrie became confused and sat up in their bed, wondering what to ask without pushing an unnecessary button. She slid her hand into Skulduggery's and thought, before a metaphorical light bulb went off in her head.

"It's the murder, isn't it?" Valkyrie asked cautiously, rubbing her husband's hand.

Skulduggery didn't answer, but nodded in response, his mind wandering back to the mystery of who the murderers were. Valkyrie noticed he was in deep thought and didn't feel like talking about it, so she lay back down and stared up at her thought filled Skulduggery.

"I know that we both hate China with a burning passion, but that doesn't mean I want to see her killed, Val," Skulduggery explained quietly, earning a nod from Valkyrie as she propped herself up on one elbow.

"I know, Skul, I know. I completely understand what you are saying, and I want to help, but we have no clue where the murderer's hiding…We don't even understand their magic yet," Valkyrie replied, looking deep into his eye sockets.

Skulduggery shuffled a bit before saying, "I think it's not a 'murderer' but actual 'murderers.' I mean, it just seems to make sense since two types of magic are being used in one event. I honestly think that there's a tag team committing these murders. One drains the power of the target so they can't retaliate, and the other one somehow twists them into full blown pretzels."

Valkyrie listened as it all clicked into place, but one question still stayed put in her mind.

"Who do we know that hates China enough to kidnap her?" Valkyrie finally asked, looking out the window in deep concentration.

Skulduggery took the question into thinking but replied, "I honestly have no clue. Although, there are two people who I find very suspicious,"

Valkyrie snapped out of her thoughts and stared at him curiously before realizing who he was referring to. She looked up silently and whispered, "Oh. Them."

Back with China:

China was in great disbelief at how powerful these girls were. No one could have taken her down that quickly even if they tried their absolute best. She guessed it was because they were her offspring.

"China, I know by that smirk on your face that you are thinking highly of yourself. Obviously you are wrong, fore you just managed to get kidnapped by two eighteen year olds. So, stop before I get angry," Crystal spat, watching as Stormy shackled her to the stone wall.

China pried herself from her thoughts and watched as Stormy glared at her, wondering why they hated their own mother so much. Stormy raised an eyebrow before stepping back, and whispered something in Crystal's ear, causing a growl to emit from her pursed lips.

"What are you thinking about over there, China?" Crystal asked, looking distastefully at her mother.

China brought her head up to reveal a frown as she requested, "May I know why you two hate me so much? I know this will certainly enrage you, but I need to know what I did wrong before you obviously kill me."

Crystal looked over at Stormy who nodded, then watched as her sister stepped forward and crouched to look China in the eye,

"You really want to know, China? I honestly can't believe you don't know. We are your daughters doesn't that give you a little hint? We have been living on our own for ten years waiting for you to come and rescue us from that blasted orphanage, and you never came. Do you know what it's like being in a place like that with magic? It's dreadful! Crystal was always teased about her right hand that she didn't even know contained powers at that point in time. I was always teased about being some Goth chick. It's a cruel world that you are supposed to save us from, and you betrayed us. The only parent that was actually loyal to us and taught us magic was our supposedly evil father," Stormy spat, jabbing a finger in China's chest.

China didn't answer but looked up sadly at Stormy, whose eyes were widened in rage and her chest was heaving.

"I'm…sorry…" China whispered, looking deep into her daughter's eyes.

China expected sympathy from them from here on out, but alas, their reaction was quite different. Stormy shrieked in rage and slapped China, her face going deep red. Crystal was behind them rolling her eyes at China's apology, and then shooting a death glare directly at her.

"Why won't you accept my damn apology?" China screeched, pulling forward on the shackles.

Stormy laughed at the request then got up in China's face. China flinched before Stormy hissed, "If you lived half your life without your mother who was sitting comfortably in a nice home, you would completely understand."

China looked down in despair, knowing she actually did something wrong for once. Crystal could feel China pouting from beneath her raven black hair, and marched forward to kick China in the shin. China howled in pain, her face coated in sweat and tears, and then looked up venomously at Crystal. Crystal returned the glare, and whispered icily, "I can't believe you are sitting here sorry for yourself. Have you been ignoring us this whole time? Dad was right about you, you don't care about anyone but yourself."

China looked up offended as Crystal spun on her heels and left the room accompanied by her sister.


A/N: Anyone feeling sorry for Stormy and Crystal yet?

Hmm…