Skulduggery had made it to the 30th floor and was just going up the last flight of steps when he heard it. The bang and then the grunting, as if someone was doing something tiring, like moving furniture. Skulduggery put his hand in the inside of his coat and held the gun that was waiting to be used. He heard a low male voice talking rather quickly, then a delicate female voice. Even more delicate than China Sorrows' voice. He crept up the stairs and went to a door. He pulled it open to reveal a burly security guard, obviously the low male voice he'd heard, he also saw a woman in a long red dress. The delicate female voice. In the middle of these two figures was the slumped body of Valkyrie Cain. Valkyrie had been tied to a chair using bits of rope. She looked as if she'd been hit as her eye was black and she was unconscious. The woman and the man immediately started babbling.

"We just found her. She looks in a bad way!" The woman said.

"She does!" he agreed. "The rope was much tighter round her before you walk-"

"Shut Up." Skulduggery said, his voice low and menacing. He said the words slowly. He looked at Valkyrie a bit closer and could see her arm was broken. He could tell immediately because, whoever had taken her coat off, had left the area where they'd broken her arm visible. Her arm was turning a deep purple and was already swelling. Skulduggery was still looking at Valkyrie when the woman and man started nodding to each other that they should go towards the door. Skulduggery, without turning, said: "Don't move."

"Who are you to tell us not to move?" asked the woman, obviously the boss.

"I'm a detective, my name is Skulduggery Pleasant and this girl, is my associate," Skulduggery replied, only now did he turn his head towards the two strangers. "whoever's done this to her will have a lifetime of misery…"

With this the two stranger's gulped. Skulduggery turned his whole body now. He walked towards the two strangers and handcuffed them to each other. The man tried to pull one way and the woman tried to pull the other. They fell over and Skulduggery picked up Valkyrie. She lay in his arms, the only movement she made was her chest rising, and falling as she, barely, breathed in and out. Skulduggery made the man and woman stand-up and, holding onto their handcuffs, made them walk down the stairs to the Bentley.

******

Valkyrie Cain woke up suddenly. Her vision was blurred and her arm was hurting. The last thing she remembered was the Security Guard in the lift about to hit her. She had forgotten what had happened after he'd hit her. She had almost cleared the vision in her eyes when she could make out the tall thin figure of Skulduggery talking to someone in a white lab-coat. Kenspeckle!

"Oh that's nice!" Valkyrie said sitting up "Talk to him, but don't fuss over me!" she said the last bit whilst laughing.

Skulduggery and Kenspeckle turned and looked at her. Kenspeckle's face was grim and Skulduggery - well, Skulduggery had no skin so she never knew whether he was smiling or not. Both men walked over to her. Skulduggery stood by the side of her bed, his hat pulled low down over his face, whilst Kenspeckle asked her some questions.

My dear Valkyrie," Kenspeckle began "every time I see you it doesn't surprise me that you're arm is broken. Now, how does this feel? Kenspeckle tok hold of her arm.

"Fine."

"No pain?"

"Nope, none at all."

"Not even the tineist bit?"

"NO!"

"OK."

"Why?" Skulduggery asked.

"Why what?" Kenspeckle replied. Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery.

"Why are you expecting her to feel pain?"

"Because the gel has only been on for 30 minutes, if that. It should take a little longer for her to feel no pain."

"Maybe she's broken her arm so many times that she can't feel it when it breaks anymore?"

"That's a possibility…"

"I am still here y'know…"

Valkyrie looked at them, her eyes were wide.

"Yes, indeed you are. Anyway, I want to keep you in a bit longer anyway."

"Why do you want to keep me in? Surely if my arm is better then I can go?"

"I want to do some test Valkyrie. If your arm does get used to the feeling of being broken then this could be a medical break-through."

"Can't we do this some other day? I have some bad guy butt to be kickin'…"

"Valkyrie, seeing as you're here now I may aswel do it now!"

"Well, what do you have to do?"

"Inject something into your bloodstream then take a few samples of blood. The injection fluid will knock you out, but that shouldn't be for too long."

Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery who was doing nothing he just looked back at her with his hollow eye sockets. Valkyrie looked back at Kenspeckle then sighed and leaned back on the bed.

"Fine, do what you have to do"

******