Well since all you guys asked so nicely here's the next chapter =)

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The small town square was crowded for a Saturday morning. Skulduggery did suggest they should split up to get more work done but he'd preferred they were together. Valkyrie assured him that she was going to be alright. He agreed with her of course.

When Skulduggery disappeared into the bar, Valkyrie made her way over to a gourmet restaurant. Through the corner of her eye, she saw something jump from one roof to another. Looking up, she spotted nothing. She was about to ignore the circumstance when she saw it again. It was heading to her right.

Determined not to lose sight of it again, she followed it. Jumping quite fast, she was on the verge of giving up when it jumped off behind Fibars old tattoo shop: where Romel had met his strange visitor. Sneaking and peeking around the corner, she noticed it was not just anybody. It was Springheel Jack. What was he doing here?

As if in answer to her question, he opened the gate of a nearby sewer hole and climbed in. The sewer? Should she follow him or tell Skulduggery first? She'd probably lose track of Jack. She bolted forward to the sewer hole and climbed in.

When she hit the bottom, her feet were immediately soaked. Damn it Skulduggery for not teaching me how to walk on water. Valkyrie could hear Springheel's steps echoing ahead of her. She hurried to catch up as she reached for her phone in your back pocket. Dialing the first speed dial number, she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Find something?" Skulduggery answered.

"Yes and I'm pursuing it," she reported.

"You're what?" she heard his voice rise, "Where are you?"

"Sewer network behind the tattoo shop." She could hear his shoes echoing off the stone path in the square.

"I'm on my way. Be careful."

"I am. Call me if you can't-" She dropped her phone because suddenly there was a knife to her throat and the searing hot breath of some hairy man.

"What are doing here alone?" he hissed in her ear.

Valkyrie didn't answer.

"Hmm..." He started rummaging through her pockets.

Valkyrie's eyes looked down at the gunk she was standing in and tried to focus on making it solid. She took a deep breath and elbowed him in the stomach.

When he made to run after her, he couldn't move. He snapped his fingers and conjured up a sphere of fire and threw it her way, catching her square in the back. She fell to the ground. Taking this advantage, he released himself from the water and made for her.

Before Valkyrie could get up, the man grabbed her by the wrists and knocked her head against the brick wall, her eyes rolling back.

He picked her up and throwing her over his shoulder began to walk in the opposite direction when suddenly a fist collided with his face. Dropping Valkyrie, he looked up to see a skeleton glaring down at him. The feared detective...

Skulduggery picked the man off his bum and threw him against the sewer wall. Pausing for a moment, Skulduggery began looking through the man s pockets. He found: money, keys, a deck of cards, a knife, a cell phone, and a pair of handcuffs. "My mind can wonder what you would do with these," Skulduggery held up the handcuffs, "But I'm going to assume the worst. Would you like the good news or the bad news?"

"The good news?" the man stuttered.

"Actually, they're both pretty bad news for you. First, I'm going to probably punch you again till your face doesn't look like you anymore. Fighting back won't do any good trust me. Second, I'm going to turn you into the police for stealing, assault, possible rape, and whatever else I can get you for."

The man cringed, "Please don't do that to my face, please."

Skulduggery thought for a moment then asked, "Where does this sewer network lead to?"

"The Black-Market but don't tell anyone I told you that."

"How do I get there from here?" He pushed him harder against the wall.

"That way," the man pointed, "Take a right and a very soon left and there should be at a gate disguised in a cloaking shield that leads to the market."

"Good. You just won yourself your face." Skulduggery knocked the man s head back on the wall and let him fall to the ground. He turned back his attention to Valkyrie.

She stared at him, rubbing her head. "Thank you," she whispered.

Skulduggery kneeled down at her side and placed a hand on her shoulder and one on her head. "Are you okay?"

"Beside's my skull pounding? Just dandy."

He helped her out of the sewer water. "This could have been avoided if you didn't go by yourself."

"Well did you know the Black-Market was placed here?"

He was silent for a moment before admitting, "No. The Sanctuary's been looking for this place for years."

"See? I was following Springheel Jack."

"Were you now?" He looked away.

"You're still made at me for coming down her by myself."

"You could have been taken away without my knowing and I would have had to put money on hold to find you."

"Stop joking around. You're right though. If you were here that man would have thought twice about attacking the apprentice of the legendary dead man."

"It's a habit to make jokes and yes, you are absolutely right about that."

"So are we going to check out the Black-Market or not?"

"We are but first." He reached for her and gave her a hug. "Don't do that again."

"Oh, you know I never listen to you but maybe just this once."

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SkulPoint of View

Skulduggery treaded through the lower waters of the sewer as Valkyrie closely followed behind. As the man had indicated earlier, a gate stood in their amidst.

"How are you going to get through?" Valkyrie asked him.

He thought for a moment. The cloaking shield must have only been used to block out bystanders but what if it was a construction worker? Would I be able to access the Black-Market or would we walk into a fake sewer pipe? He tested his theory by putting his hand through the bars of the gate. He could still see it. So it is a fake pipe. He walked around to the right side of the pipe and ran his fingers over its edge. Finding the hatch, he opened the gate and ducking, stepped inside.

Running his gloved fingers across the moss covered wall, he reached the end of the pipe which was sealed off with bars. This time he put his hand through the bars and didn't see it. Bingo. He tested the bars in front of him with his fingers. How would one remove them without destroying them? He looked above him to see a very unnoticeable thumb scanner. He groaned.

"What?" asked Valkyrie.

"Thumb print access," he pointed, "Can't get in unless you're a member."

She pressed her thumb to it: Nothing happened. "Should we just break down the bars?"

He shook his head, "No, that would cause conflict for us and I've had enough excitement for one day. We'll intrude tomorrow if I can't get another way in."

"Are you going to tell the Sanctuary?"

"No, not until I've been in and out of that place for myself." He began to turn back but Valkyrie stood in his way. "What?"

"Nothing."

End chapter 10 =) More to come!