Valkyrie didn't know what to think of the vampire. Or why she wanted to talk to Nye. They walked along in silence, Vendetta's footsteps unheard. Valkyrie kept her gaze straight ahead and when they reached the Medical Bay, Valkyrie opened the door and stepped in.

"Doctor Nye!" she called.

A moment later, the large, spider-like creature ducked its head as it entered to room. It looked at them with beady yellow eyes.

"Yes?"

"Um, she wanted to speak to you." Valkyrie gestured at Vendetta who looked at the creature uninterestedly.

"I need you to make me a grind guard."

Nye blinked. "A… grind guard?"

"Yes. One that is invisible when I have it in my mouth and one that won't get in the way with anything."

Nye thought for a moment then nodded. "Okay. Come with me. And if that is all, Detective Cain, you may leave us."

Valkyrie hesitated, remembering that they were now partners and what Skulduggery had told her earlier. "Um, actually. I think I need to stay with her at all times. You know, since she is a criminal and all."

Nye shrugged then gestured for them to follow. They walked into a back room and had Vendetta sit down on an examination table. As Nye dug through its different instruments, Vendetta watched it.

"Did you really torture people during the War?" she asked.

Nye sighed. "Yes. And if you are going to gripe about it just save it. It was hundreds of years ago and I have been pardoned for my crimes, so don't go off on me about how I slowly dissecting people while they were still breathing or pulling their limbs off, okay? I've heard enough about it already."

"Oh no. I want you to tell me about it."

That sentence made Nye swivel its head round to look at her. It blinked. "Really?"

"Yes. Don't leave anything out."

Nye hesitated then shrugged. "Okay." And turned back to its work.

….

After another half hour of working and stomach churning tales that nearly made Valkyrie vomit, Nye gave Vendetta a clear, seemingly plastic mouth guard. "This mouth guard will act like any other mortal one." Nye said as Vendetta examined it. "Once you put it in, you won't be able to tell it's even there and it will be completely invisible. It will shift as well at night when you rip off your human skin and stay on in your beastly form. Take it off for a least an hour every day so that it can recharge the magical properties inside of it."

Vendetta nodded and put it in. She peered into a mirror and examined her teeth. Sure enough, Valkyrie couldn't even tell there was anything different. The vampire nodded and slid off the examination table. "Good. And I may use those new techniques you told me."

Without even a goodbye, she turned and walked out of the Medical Bay. Valkyrie hurried after her. Vendetta apparently didn't want to wait around and the younger girl had to almost jog to keep up.

They got back to the Council Room and Ray-Roy came over from where he had been talking to his father with a lop-sided grin on his face. "Hey there Pretty Lady." He said to Vendetta.

"Oh." Valkyrie said in realization. "Are you two dating?"

The glare Vendetta gave her was enough to send her staggering back. The vampire ground her teeth together. "No."

"Ah." Valkyrie said. "I see why you need a mouth guard now."

Vendetta growled and turned to Ray-Roy. "And you." She hissed. "Don't call me that."

Ray-Roy's smile broadened. "Aw come on, you know you love me."

"It's actually quite the opposite." Vendetta shoved past him. Ray-Roy followed and Valkyrie hurried after them.

"No it isn't." The Texan said catching up to her. "You just don't know it."

Valkyrie could tell this wasn't a new conversation between them. They got back to the others and Valkyrie saw that everyone else had already paired up. Skulduggery and Dusk were quietly discussing plans off to the side. Ghastly and Sanguine had their backs to each other and weren't speaking with their arms crossed. Fletcher and Shoe were talking and Scratch was fiddling with his coat.

"So why'd you go to Nye?" Ray-Roy was asking Vendetta.

"For a mouth guard." The vampire responded bluntly.

"Why would you need that?"

"Because every time I'm around you or think about you I grind my teeth and it's wearing them down."

"Oh."

Valkyrie felt awkward; like she was eavesdropping in on a conversation. She would have left if she hadn't told Skulduggery she wouldn't leave them alone. So she stood there until in silence until Ray-Roy asked her a question.

"So you're
Valkyrie Cain?" he asked.

"Yes." Valkyrie said.

"Partner to Skulduggery Pleasant."

"Got that right."

"Helped stop the end of the world on numerous occasions, some of them involving my daddy and Vendetta's-

Vendetta shot Ray-Roy a glare, making him falter and finish with "….. acquaintance, Dusk."

"Yeah." Valkyrie nodded, eyeing Vendetta cautiously. The vampire seemed to get aggravated every time someone mentioned her relationship to others.

Ray-Roy leaned over and whispered. "Don't mind her. She gets mad easily."

"I heard that."

Ray-Roy straightened up and grinned at Vendetta. "Don't worry, I ain't telling her your secrets."

"You don't know any of my secrets."

"And that is why I'm not telling her."

Fletcher came up at that moment. "Hey Val." He looked at the other two. "Oh. You must be some of the criminals. I'm-

"Fletcher Renn." Vendetta interrupted. "Teenage teleporter, last of his kind. Strong over use of hair gel and extremely arrogant and cocky."

Valkyrie and Fletcher stared at her.

"She does a lot of research." Ray-Roy explained.

"Better to go in knowing things then to go in blind." Vendetta walked away. Ray-Roy chased after her.

Valkyrie blinked then shook her head and turned back to Fletcher. "Hey Fletch. What are you doing over here?"

"Just wanted to say hi."

"Well hi. How're things in Australia?"

Fletcher nodded. "Pretty good."

"So Ravel talked you into coming back?"

"Yeah. He said he really would need a teleporter and that I would be doing you guys a huge favor."

"And you couldn't say no, could you?"

"Nope, especially when he offered me a five hundred dollar gift certificate for my favorite hair gel supplier."

Valkyrie laughed. "You love your hair too much."

"No I don't. If anything, I don't love it enough. Which reminds me. I need to go apply my afternoon layer of hair care products."

Valkyrie rolled her eyes but as Fletcher passed, she couldn't help but reach over and ruffle his hair. He yelped and ran off into the bathroom as fast he could. Valkyrie laughed.

…..

Vendetta walked over to a corner and leaned against the wall. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Stop following me."

Ray-Roy stopped in front of her and grinned. Before he could answer however, Spring-heeled Jack's daughter, Shoe walked up. The monster was a few inches shorter than her father, with long, grey hair and a wrinkled face. Her clothes looked like they belonged in the Victorian era and she didn't wear shoes.

"Hi Ray-Roy," Shoe said with a smile. She completely ignored Vendetta. "So, how are you?"

Ray-Roy shrugged. "Fine. I got hired for a job that pays me twice my normal rate. I am very satisfied."

Shoe giggled and twirled some hair around her finger. "That's good. I'm just being paid a lot of money. Nothing much. I was hoping you would be here too."

"Yes and I was hoping that you had died in a ditch somewhere." Vendetta said in a cold, humorless voice.

Shoe turned and looked her up and down disdainfully. "Ah. I see the little vampire's still around as well. Do you think you can keep yourself in check? We wouldn't want a suddenly out-of-control vampire on our hands during this would we?"

Vendetta, for her part, was as emotionless as always. "Of course. I am nothing short of a professional. I can't say the same for you though. When did you ever get hired for a job? Don't you spend your life dancing about on rooftops like out of a 'Mary Poppins' movie?"

Shoe sniffed. "I'll have you know, I have just as much ability as you do."

"I'll believe that when I see it."

Shoe glared at her for a moment longer, then turned and smiled at Ray-Roy. "I'll see you later."

Then she walked away.

…..

Pleasant had just walked off to go talk to Bespoke when Jack had walked up to Dusk. "Hey there vampy, been behavin' yourself lately?"

Dusk looked at him evenly. "Jack."

Jack tipped his top hat to him. "Been a while since I last saw ya. Didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"I was hoping that would be true."

Jack laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around. He looked off over to a corner and nodded. "Looks like Shoe is hittin' it off with that Ray-Roy guy and your acquaintance."

Dusk didn't respond.

"Still don't talk do you? Well, I guess that's just who ya are."

Dusk still didn't respond.

Just then, Scratch walked up. The monster was like a photo copy of his father, with the same lank, greasy hair and Victorian suit. He didn't wear shoes either, and the only way Dusk could tell them apart was that Scratch didn't wear a battered top at on top of his misshapen head.

Jack grinned and slapped Scratch on the back. "Dusk, I'd like you to meet my son. Scratch, this is Dusk."

Scratch didn't answer. He was too busy swatting at the fly that was buzzing around his head. Jack sighed. "Son, stop swatting at the fly."

Scratch ignored him and continued to swat at the fly. He turned, following the pesky insect, and finally managed to squish it with his palm. Right onto the face of Vendetta, who had just come up at that moment.

Everything seemed to stop and it was a moment Dusk found himself where, even though he knew it was going to get very bad, very quickly, he couldn't move.

Scratch paused, pulled his hand away, looked at it, made a face, and wiped it on his pants. He then looked up and saw the dead bug still stuck to Vendetta's face. "Oops. Sorry."

He reached over and wiped her face with his sleeve, leaving a large, grey streak in its place. Vendetta glared at him. She curled a lip and began to growl deep in her throat.

"In all fairness," Dusk said. "Since I do not personally hate you, I suppose I had better warn you to start running."

Vendetta tackled Scratch with a snarl.

"Too late."

Jack swore and went to work trying to stop Vendetta from strangling his son.

"It's useless," Dusk said, watching the struggle. Vendetta was now straddling Scratch, her hands around his throat. Scratch was kicking and thrashing about, trying to break the hold but Vendetta held on.

And then Shoe was there, tackling Vendetta and pulling her to the ground. The two rolled around on the floor, snarling and hissing and clawing. Dusk and Jack pulled them apart.

Vendetta continued to try to get at Shoe, but Dusk managed to keep control of her until she calmed down. The two girls glared at each other with as much hatred they had in their bodies.

Jack looked at Shoe in surprised. "Wow. I've never seen you rescue your brother before, usually you won't try to help him, even if someone is bashing him in the head with a brick."

Shoe didn't respond. Dusk put Vendetta down, but held onto her upper arm so that he could hold her back if she tried to attack someone again. Jack did the same. The two girls never broke their gazes from each other.

Dusk looked at Jack. "Ignore Vendetta. She's always like this."

"Shoe isn't usually this aggressive," Jack said then shrugged. "Must be finally hatin' her brother less or something."

Just then, Ravel came back in, the Administrator, Tipstaff beside him carrying a container.

"Okay everyone." The Grand Mage said. "Partner up."

Vendetta and Shoe both gave each other one last glare, then Vendetta wrenched her arm from Dusk's grip and went to stand next to Cain. Shoe huffed and stopped over to Renn. Pleasant cheerfully came back over, nodding to Jack and stopping next to Dusk. After everyone was paired up, Ravel continued.

"We'll meet back here tonight to exchange information and work on any leads. Remember, we only have a few weeks to find out who did this and to get Ode back. Now let's go, Tipstaff will give you your passes on the way out."

Hey guys! Thanks so much for all of the reviews already, I honestly didn't think these stories would get off so well so thanks a lot for that. :)

Guest: Thanks! I'm glad you like these stories! Means a lot to me. :) I can not give you a full-out, straight answer to that, but I can tell you that Ray-Roy and Vendetta's relationship does go deeper in this story.

Glad you all are happy with my idea for Caelan! He will be appearing soon, I promise.

REVIEW! XD