Dusk followed Pleasant back out of the Sanctuary into the warm air. The sun was out with not a cloud in the sky. They got into Pleasant's car and he made sure not to adjust the seat as the skeleton had warned him the first time they had gotten in.

"Above everything else, besides touching my radio that is," Pleasant had said as he started the engine. "Do not adjust that seat. Valkyrie gets very aggravated when someone does that."

"Is that so," Dusk had murmured uninterestedly.

"Yep. Last time I let someone do that, I woke up in a forest with no idea where I was. Little bugger." Pleasant mumbled the last bit to himself. "I swear, that girl is too stubborn for her own good. She never admits she's wrong, even if she is, and doesn't do what she's told. Know anyone like that Dusk?"

"Oh yes," Dusk said, thinking of a certain vampire.

"Who?"

Dusk looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You really want to know?"

Pleasant shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

Maybe because if she finds out I said anything concerning her she would hunt both of us down, kill you and torture me. "Vendetta."

"Really?" Pleasant turned his skull slightly to look at him. "Vendetta? She's like that too?"

"Yes."

Pleasant nodded. "I can see that. She and Valkyrie will have a great time then."

"If she kills your partner yes, she will definitely have a great time then."

"That's nice. Healthy too."

"Not for Cain."

"If you don't mind me asking, Dusk." Pleasant said after a moment of silence. "What exactly is your connection to her?"

"I'm not going to answer that."

"But why-

"Shut up."

And that put an end to their conversation.

…

They reached the East Dublin a few minutes later. Dusk got out and looked up at the building. It was made out of brick; the front of it had a few windows and a door. Nothing special to mark it out as different from its neighbors. Pleasant tapped a couple symbols tattooed to his collar bones and a face flowed up. Blue eyes and blond hair.

"Okay," Pleasant said checking his gun. "Ready to go in?"

"Yes."

"Good." Pleasant walked up to the door and knocked. A few seconds went by but no one answered so Pleasant kicked the door down. Dusk followed in, listening for any life.

He heard someone down the hall and he got the skeleton's attention before motioning to the room. Pleasant nodded and moved to stand on one side of the door. Dusk went to other side. They peered in, looking at the other's blind spots.

Dusk saw a large couch, painting and part of a ceiling fan along with a book case. Pleasant looked at the vampire then nodded and they went into the room. The man jumped off the couch and wheeled around to face him. His eyes widened and he immediately started to look around for escape.

Dusk grabbed him before he could move however and slammed him into the wall. Pleasant came over, holding the gun out.

"Hello," Pleasant said. "My name is Skulduggery Pleasant, detective with the Sanctuary. My friend here is Dusk. What is yours?"

The man glared. "Gary Black."

"Nice to meet you Gary, I believe you know a few things about a certain Grand Mage being kidnapped."

Black glared at him. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes you do," Pleasant said. "Now, where is Ode?"

Black spat. "You'll never find him. He's gone now, given to the guy who paid my boss."

"Who is he?"

"I keep a habit of not giving my boss' client's names to an unappreciated third party."

"You can save yourself a lot of trouble with just giving us the information we want. Now, who is he?"

"Not telling."

"Listen, you know that I am a Sanctuary official and I cannot torture you into telling me what I want. But can you see my friend here holding you, probably very uncomfortably, against that wall? Well he is the opposite of a Sanctuary official. That's right. He's a criminal. And do you know what that means? Yeah, that's right. He doesn't have that rule. He can kill you and torture you and he has no rules to obey in interrogation."

Black narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't."

"I wouldn't? Dusk, would you mind?"

Dusk broken Black's wrist in response, making the man scream. He writhed, trying to get out of his grip but the vampire held him in place.

"So," Pleasant said cheerfully. "Believe me now?"

Black grunted. "My boss is named Adam Wreck. He should be around here. Don't know the guy who hired Wreck however. Man keeps to himself mostly. That all? Because otherwise my friends will be interrupting this."

Dusk sensed movement coming down the corridor and he swore. He looked at Pleasant and jerked his head towards the door way. Pleasant nodded and moved to stand in the hallway. He fired a couple times, the gun shells clattering to the ground.

The skeleton continued to fire till he ran out of bullets then dropped the weapon and summoned fire in his hands. Dusk dropped Black and moved to intercept the few that escaped Pleasant's defense, firing punches and dancing out of the way of counter attacks.

He managed to dispatch two of them before one got a punch in. Dusk snarled as he was backed up and retaliated, kicking his knee in then smashing his fist into his jaw. An arm wrapped around his throat, pulling him backwards. Dusk reached behind him, trying to break the hold Black had on him. He managed to grab the other man, throwing him to the ground and stomping on his bad wrist.

Black screamed, twisting. Then he looked up through narrowed eyes and said through gritted teeth, "Better get out alive while you can."

Before Dusk could ask what he meant, someone else crashed into him and by the time the vampire wasn't busy Black was gone and Pleasant was finishing off the last of the men.

"Well," Pleasant said. "Looks like we know the name of the kidnapper."

NarahSelson: No, Valkyrie will not be a part of any pairing. I'm not a fan of Valduggery and since this is during the time where Fletcher is dating Myra I will not be doing that. I will take note of your suggestion. :P

Dexter Jackson: First, thanks for all your support with all my stories. Means a lot. :) And second, is this what you wanted? ;p

SP: Definitely.

V-R. P.: Thanks so much to you as well for the support as well! It's just awesome of you! Glad you liked that scene, I was anxious to get some violence in here because I felt it was too boring. And what type of backstory do you want? Just to be more specific.