Requiem: Chapter Nine...
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Skulduggery pushed at the air and crossed the cavern so fast that Requiem had no time to react. Valkyrie gasped as his shoes collided with the yellow eyed man's face hard enough to crumple him. As he fell, Skulduggery pushed off of him, flipped gracefully and landed on his feet, straightening his hat as Requiem crashed to the floor.
"What the Hell was that?" Tanith asked, wide eyed.
"What? Oh. He talked too much." Skulduggery brushed the front of his suit as though he hadn't just flattened someone and Tanith started laughing. Ghastly snapped a pair of binding cuffs around the unconscious man's wrist and tapped a sigil on his own wrist.
"What's that for?" Valkyrie asked.
"It'll call Fletcher to bring Cleavers to us. He can teleport here even if he's never seen the place," the Elder answered. "Somebody has to clean up this mess." He gestured at the multiple unconscious bodies on the ground.
"You called?" The voice made Valkyrie jump and she whirled to see the blonde Teleporter and a small army of Cleavers with him. The Cleavers immediately set about cuffing the Infected and linking arms. Skulduggery crossed to Valkyrie and put one hand on her arm and the other on Fletcher. When everyone was linked, she blinked and they were outside the holding cells in the Sanctuary.
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"Is it really that easy?" Valkyrie was in the Infirmary again while Doctor Raze patched them up. Skulduggery was sat with his shirt unbuttoned while she wrapped some sort of strange black tape around his splintered ribs and collar bone.
"Things are rarely simple. We'll have to wait and see if the Sensitives continue to see visions. If Sacrament and Jordy can't see anything then I think it's safe to assume we've successfully diverted ourselves from an undesirable future." He winced as the doctor pulled a strip of tape taught and snapped it off the roll.
"I can't believe you took him out like that. And where did you learn to fly?"
"I had a lot of free time in the Faceless One's dimension." He shrugs. "I developed a complete understanding of elemental magic."
"Stay still," the doctor scolded, tapping one of the taped bones. Valkyrie snickered as he tilted his head at her. She knew if the facade was up he'd be smiling. It was strange to see his ribs exposed and even stranger still that the doctor kept putting the very tips of her fingers between them. Skulduggery shifted uncomfortably each time as though it hurt him.
"How come you can tape Skulduggery's ribs and they heal right up but we don't have tape like that for the normal people?" Valkyrie asked.
"The tape has been specifically designed for Skulduggery's...unique situation. If his bones break he can actually lose them. It's uncomfortable for him but necessary." The doctor spoke about him like he wasn't actually there. "He has an extraordinarily high pain threshold."
"Does it hurt?" Valkyrie asked him. Before he could answer for himself, Doctor Raze poked a finger between his ribs down to the second knuckle and he gasped and jerked away from her.
"Yes," he answered roughly. "Of course it hurts. It hurts as much as somebody sticking their fingers into your chest cavity without anaesthetic." He grunted again as she wound more tape. "It isn't something you really get used to."
"If you'd stop breaking your bones I wouldn't need to do this," the doctor retorted.
"I'll bear that in mind, shall I?" he muttered. The doctor finished taping the last crack and sat back. Skulduggery buttoned his shirt and re-fastened his tie quickly before getting to his feet.
"I say this to you every time you come here, but no more fighting. You need time to heal. Even with the tape it'll take a few days."
"As always your advice is appreciated." He slipped his jacket back over his shoulders.
"Maybe I'd believe that if you actually listened to it," she answered, scowling as he left the Infirmary. Valkyrie followed behind for a minute in silence.
"So, what now?"
"Exactly what I said. We need to visit Sacrament to see if the vision is still the same. I'd also like to check in with the Elders to make sure the armour is being kept suitably safe. It wouldn't be the greatest thing if we liberated it from the caves only for it to be stolen by someone equally as unscrupulous as Requiem."
"I can't believe you took him out like that," she answered with a wide grin. "We were all set to fight to the death and you hit him with a flying drop-kick."
"I didn't want to give him the opportunity to reach the armour. I know my handsome exterior is misleading, but underneath the sophistication and charm there is a person that grows fearful of things from time to time. If he had gotten hold of it then your death would have been pretty much guaranteed. Not to mention the deaths of the rest of my friends alongside you."
"You count me as one of your friends?" He stopped and turned to look at her, his head tilting in surprise.
"You thought I didn't?"
"I don't know. I guess not."
"I wouldn't offer just anyone the role of partner, Valkyrie. If we have indeed diverted ourselves from the terrible future that was waiting we'll be spending quite a lot of time together. If I didn't think of you as a friend I can imagine that would become tedious for both of us."
"And if we haven't diverted the future?"
"Then as disappointing as it will be, I will have to avoid you again."
"Skulduggery Pleasant, are you saying you'd miss me?" She arched an eyebrow, grinning broadly.
"Certainly, almost like one might miss a goldfish after it has died." He dodged the swing she sent towards his shoulder with ease, chuckling gently.
"You know how to ruin a moment, don't you?"
"We were having a moment?"
"Weren't we? Was that not what that was? I thought we were realising our friendship or something."
"Do you want to have a moment with me? I can backtrack if you'd like."
"No, you've already ruined it." He laughed again as he opened the door to one of the various Sanctuary meeting rooms. Valkyrie was greeted by all three Elders, even Dexter Vex, seated in the chairs opposite them.
"Skulduggery," China Sorrows greeted him with a nod, and then her eyes passed to Valkyrie and suddenly she felt light headed. "You must be Valkyrie Cain. I've heard so much about you." Valkyrie stared, transfixed by her porcelain skin and beautiful blue eyes. Her limbs felt heavy. She wanted to sink to her knees beside her and stay there forever.
"China," Skulduggery growled. The steel edge to his voice was enough to draw Valkyrie's attention from the other-worldly woman before her, and then as suddenly as it overcame her, she was free. She could look at China without going misty eyed.
"My apologies, I do forget how people perceive me the first time they meet me," she said with a brilliant smile. "Please, have a seat both of you."
"Nice to see you Skul. Been a long time," Dexter grinned from across the table.
"Indeed it has. I'm surprised you're here for this."
"I came as soon as the armour was mentioned. It's dangerous enough to need my attention."
"We've made arrangements to keep it contained in the bowels of the old Roarhaven Sanctuary beneath us," Ghastly said. "China has taken the time to place protection wards around it that will kill any without permission to access it. Naturally nobody has permission to go anywhere near it but us." He gestured at the other Elders. "We have Cleavers on guard at all times and have placed it inside a further protective case that is also magically sealed and guarded."
"Sounds secure," Skulduggery said. "I would have preferred to leave it in the Caves but it seems its location was no longer a secret. Do we know how Requiem found it?"
"Not yet. That's what we need you to ask him," Dexter said, leaning forward in his chair.
"Requiem refuses to speak to anybody but you and Valkyrie," China finished.
"Why me?" Valkyrie asked.
"We're not sure. Like I said, he refuses to speak to us. We can't get anything out of him." She surveyed Val with her bottomless blue eyes, her expression impassive.
"We also haven't found the Vampire responsible for infecting the people we arrested. We found a few of them dead in the Caves, but most of them are alive and well. one or two were too far gone to cure and are now adjusting to becoming Vampires themselves. Once we feel they're no longer a risk to society we'll release them. After all, none of this was their choice," Ghastly explained.
"We need your help still Skul. We know you're an Arbiter and technically you don't operate under our rules anymore, but we were hoping you might extend your partnership with us until we get to the bottom of it. The Sanctuary detectives just aren't up to it." Vex's tone was pleasant as he spoke, and his easy smile made Valkyrie relax even as China stared her down.
"Will you agree to work with us for a while longer?" Ghastly asked, a twinkle in his eye. It was clear he already knew the answer.
"Of course," Skulduggery replied. "Providing Valkyrie here can assist me. With Requiem controlling her death in the Sensitive visions, I feel it's only fair that she be involved."
"That won't be a problem," China said smoothly.
"Excellent. I'd like to visit the Sensitives first, and then we'll return to see what he has to say. If any of the others give anything away while we're gone please let me know." Skulduggery rose from his seat and Valkyrie followed as the Elders said goodbye.
"I don't think China likes me," she mused as they walked through the corridors. "She was looking at me strangely."
"She doesn't like people that interest me more than she does," the detective answered. "In fact she doesn't like anyone more interesting than her, full stop." He stopped as he found the blonde Teleporter in the Sanctuary foyer. "Ah, Fletcher. Just the person I needed."
"Skulduggery, I was hoping to avoid you." Fletcher turned with a dismayed expression and folded his arms across his chest.
"You should try having less obvious hair then."
"What's wrong with my hair?"
"Everything." Valkyrie chuckled as Fletcher glared at the skeleton.
"At least I have hair," he muttered. "What do you want?"
"We need to go back to the mansion. My car is there."
"I'm not a taxi."
"You work for the Sanctuary don't you?"
"Yeah but-"
"And you're aware I'm an Arbiter, yes?"
"...I know."
"Then you will also know that I have access to all Sanctuary resources to help with this case, yes?"
"Yes," Fletcher answered, his tone turning sullen.
"So unless you want to Teleport me everywhere I need to go, I would like you to take me to the mansion so that I can get my car, and then Valkyrie and I will drive ourselves to where we need to be."
"Fine, I'll take you to your car." He turned to Valkyrie. "If you ever get bored of hanging around him come find me," he winked.
"I'll bear that in mind," she answered, raising an eyebrow. He grinned broadly. Skulduggery cleared his non-existent throat and Fletcher rolled his eyes and held out his hands. In a flash they were back in the entryway of the mansion. Fletcher waved at Valkyrie and disappeared again. "You really don't like him, do you?"
"I don't understand how anybody can spend as much time on their hair as he does and it still look like that," he answered. "It irritates me." He began to ascend the stairs, stopping as Valkyrie shot him a puzzled look. "I want to check on the Echo Stone. If I did anything wrong when recarving the sigils it may have stopped working again."
"When we've done that do you think you could take me home? I want to be there before Alice wakes up and I'm sure Andromeda and Jordy are worried sick."
"Of course," he answered warmly. Valkyrie followed him into the study, pleased to see the echo stone still glowing softly in its cradle. Seeming happy with what he saw, the skeleton returned the cradle to its secret room. "We should return to check the stone regularly in case it charges sooner than expected. I'm sure Gordon will be dying for some company when he's able to come out again."
"I can't believe you fixed it. The carvings are so small and intricate. How long were you at it?"
"About six hours," he answered. "It's not too bad when you have no muscles to ache and you don't need sleep." He straightened up and brushed the front of his suit. "Now let's get you home before your sister wakes up." Valkyrie grinned and bounded back down the stairs, heading out to the sleek black car on the drive way. She marvelled again at how beautiful it was before sliding into the passenger side. Skulduggery settled beside her and activated the facade, the familiar green eyes and sandy hair flowing quickly over his skull.
"How are your broken bones doing?"
"Mending," he answered. "I'll be fine in a few days."
"It looked like that tape really hurt. Is there no other way to fix you?" He shook his head. "What about that weird rock that I put in the bath?"
"It only works on a living body. I am technically undead," he answered.
"So you just have to sit there in pain while they tape you up?"
"It's that or risk losing pieces of me."
"Doesn't it annoy you?"
"It used to." He frowns. "To be a skeleton that can experience pain was hugely inconvenient for me at first, but over time it's become useful. I can be reckless sometimes. The pain reminds me that my existence can still end."
"So you don't mind?"
"I suppose I don't, no."
"Is it hard to be a skeleton?" He glanced at her with a puzzled look. "Well you can't eat food you used to love. You can't brush your hair, or get out of breath after a run, or cry. Doesn't that ever upset you?"
"Sometimes. Not as often nowadays."
"Don't you get lonely?"
"Why would I be lonely?"
"Well I'm assuming you can't really have a relationship with anyone, can you? All those years ago you had a wife. Do you miss not being able to have that now?"
"Who says I can't?" She blinked, surprised when he smiled. "Do you think I've been single since my wife died?"
"Wait a minute. Are you telling me you've had a girlfriend while being a skeleton?"
"Yes. Granted it didn't last."
"What happened?"
"She wanted to kill lots of people so I had to cut out her heart and put it in a box," he answered brightly.
"Wow." She stayed silent for a moment. "You've had a really weird life."
"You could say that." He tilted his head again. "Are you really so surprised that somebody could love me as I am?"
"No," she said quickly, blushing. "No that's not what I meant. I was more referring to the fact that you don't have..." She trailed off, her blush deepening.
"The necessary organs?" he supplied with an amused smile.
"Yes."
"While I'd rather not go into the specifics of my relationships right now, I'm not entirely incapable of intimacy. And usually my sparkling personality is enough to make up for what I lack in skin and the like."
"I'm sure it does," she answered, unable to help her soft chuckle. "Can the facade not help you with some of the parts you're...missing?"
"These are very personal questions, you know."
"You said we were friends didn't you?"
"I did."
"Then you signed up for this," she grinned. He laughed. "I've never met anyone like you and the thought of you missing out on life makes me weirdly sad."
"I'm not missing out on life." He paused. "And it's a full body facade if that's what you're asking. So I suppose it does help."
"Have you had a girlfriend while you've had it?"
"No."
"A one night stand? A fling?"
"No."
"Then how do you know?"
"You are nosey aren't you?"
"Yes. Now answer my question." He pulled the car into the parking area behind her apartment and switched off the engine.
"Give me your hand." She blinked, but did as he asked. He laid her palm over his chest and she felt the rise and fall of him breathing. She was surprised to find that he felt warm. He waited a moment, and then lifted her fingers to his throat, where she could feel a pulse thrumming under the skin. She gasped. "The facade is incredibly advanced. China worked on it for years before getting it to this point." He let go of her hand.
"That's amazing. It's like you're actually alive. Does it feel that way to you?"
"Not quite, but it isn't far off. It doesn't bleed when it gets cut and I still don't have a sense of smell. I still can't eat and it doesn't make me need sleep, but I can feel things."
"Like what?"
"The same things you can. If you pinched me it would hurt, for example."
"Are you ticklish?" He thought for a second.
"I would assume so."
"Can it bruise?"
"It can."
"Do the bruises hurt?"
"Not the way a bruise would hurt you. To bruise the facade you would need to injure my skeleton underneath."
"So if you got a black eye and I poked the bruise it wouldn't hurt?"
"Of course it would hurt, you'd be poking me in the eye."
"You know what I mean."
"If I broke an arm the facade would bruise. If I cracked a cheekbone it would bruise. If you poke a broken bone it hurts. So right now the facade is bruised over my collar bone and ribs. If you were to jab those bruises it would hurt, but only because the bones underneath are damaged. Does that make more sense?"
"I think so."
"Have you run out of questions yet?" he asked.
"Not even close, but if we stay here any longer Alice will wake up and see I've been gone. Let's go." She hopped out of the car and bounded up the stairs, eager to see her friends.
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