You won't be seeing Present Day Skulduggery for a while from here on out but you will be knowing some nice juicy details about the guy.

Valkyrie watched as Skulduggery knelled down to Kane's body and dipped his right hand in the wound, closing the eyes the same way as he did before. Again Skulduggery said a prayer asking for forgiveness. With both hands stained with the blood of his victims, he stood up as it began to rain and thunder cracked through the sky.

Valkyrie didn't understand. Kane was supposed to be alive and leader of the Black Market. I want to go home and cradle in the present day Skulduggerys arms. "Stephanie!" she cried as her hair became damp. "Stephanie!" Thunder boomed through the sky.

Skulduggery turned around as if he heard something but ignored it. She watched as Skulduggery walked over to the edge of the roof top. For the first time, she noticed his tears that mixed in with the rain. He held his arms up on either side of him and closed his eyes, the wind blowing his jacket up behind him. He smiled as lightning cracked through the night. Valkyrie was scared. She ran up to him like she could touch but when she made it he turned around. He stared right at her or he seemed to stare right at her.

"Skulduggery," said a familiar voice that could only be defined as beautiful. She turned around to see a much younger version of the one and only China Sorrows.

"What?" Skulduggery laughed, "Here to stop me?"

"No, I'm here to save you." She took a step forward.

He laughed again, a more of an awkward laugh of pity and sorrow.

Valkyrie immediately understood and turned around to face Skulduggery. "No!" she yelled.

He let himself fall backwards and suddenly the memory rapidly faded away. Drowning Valkyrie in darkness before she could scream.

January 2, 1922 - - - - Dublin, Ireland

Valkyrie dared not open her eyes. She had huddled into herself and covered her head with her arms. She suddenly could feel a warmth around her as if sitting next to a fireplace. Carefully, she opened her eyes and stared about the room. She was in what seemed to be a bedroom with a large brick fireplace. In the bed was a still figure with a hand over his face. She was willing to bet her life that it was Skulduggery. She gathered to her feet and walked over to the bed. She wasn't surprised to see Skulduggery Pleasant but the odd thing was that he wasn't breathing. Was he lying to her about the time of his death?

Valkyrie noticed that she was completely dry from the rain. The door opened and she saw a woman in a white and gray cloak enter. Her hair was short and black while she pulled back her hood to loom over him. She felt a sort of jealousy to the woman even though she was a past memory. The woman leaned over Skulduggery and kissed him. Suddenly Skulduggery breathed her in deeply, as if she was him air. His eyes fluttered open and they parted from each other. They stayed staring at each other for what seemed like eternity to Valkyrie.

The woman cleared her throat. "You play a good part in our group Skulduggery." Her voice was sweet and low.

"Thank you for saving me." He smiled the same smile that he gave to Valkyrie before sex.

A fire burned in the pit of her stomach. "Why don't you just bed her then?" she said outloud even though he could not hear her.

The door opened again and a tall, muscular built man walked in. "Sorrow I can take it from here."

The woman took a step away and turned to the door. Skulduggery and the other man were still till she shut the door, and suddenly Skulduggery jumped out of the bed and across the room to where Valkyrie was standing. The other man stomped (literally making the ground shake) around the bed and up to Skulduggery's retreating figure.

"You little bastard," said the man when he finally got a hold on Skulduggery's dress shirt. He pushed her lover hard against the wall making Skulduggery flinch. "You did it. I told you it was a bad idea."

"I'm not afraid." Skulduggery replied coolly despite the obvious pain.

"You should be. The Sanctuary is going to be on your ass and that means trouble for us." He slammed Skulduggery against the wall.

"You didn't seem bothered of the killing of Kane Gregous when Bloodlust told me to do it."

"Then what was the point of me telling you not to do it if you were going to be Bloods dog anyway," the man sneered.

"I am nobody's dog. I'm not the one with the leash around my neck."

The man raised a fist and was an inch close to Skulduggery's nose when the door swung open to reveal the red headed boy from earlier.

"Dev, put the man down. He's your brother now."

"Then you should know brothers fight all the time then."

"Oh shut up. Bloodlust is calling for a meeting to properly add Skulduggery to the gang. So get your fat ass out here."

The man turned to Skulduggery who was foolishly grinning. Placing him back to his feet, Skulduggery stretched his shoulder before following the two. The scene began to fade away.

--------

The next memory that welcomed Valkyrie was of an arena in what seemed to be the middle of the night. A group of people formed a circle around a still Skulduggery Pleasant. Two of the group she recognized: Bloodlust and the Insane Shocker. Everyone but Skulduggery was wearing a dark black cloak.

Bloodlust took a step forward and held out his arms, "Nice of you to join us, Skulduggery. Now we will begin by saying our names to our new addition and granting him a gift to form our new component for The Undertakers." He took a step forward to Skulduggery. Valkyrie felt out of place standing by her lovers side during such a critical moment in his life. "Skulduggery," Bloodlust began, "I, Bloodlust, grant you the gift of leadership to take charge of a situation when needed."

Valkyrie gasped as a red light began to beneath Skulduggery's feet. Surprising Skulduggery was well. The next member of The Undertakers came up to Skulduggery. He was the same brute of a man from earlier. "Skulduggery," he began, "I, The Devastator, grant you the gift of strength to save your skin from being ripped to pieces."

Valkyrie had a feeling that Skulduggery would have made a remark if he wasn't occupied with the brightening glow beneath him. The Insane Shocker was next. "Skulduggery, I, The Insane Shocker, grant you the gift of humor for those times that get you down." The glow became brighter.

A woman in all red came forth. "Skulduggery, I, The Lovely Phobia, grant you the gift of rage for those enemies who deserve it."

A man to be compared to paper seemed to drift up. "Skulduggery, I, The Bitter Plague, grant you the gift to be a cursed man to know what's like to be us." Valkyrie looked at the man shocked by his gift.

The woman from earlier made her way up. "Skulduggery, I, The Sorrowful Remains, grant you the gift of emotion circumstances to use for whom you choose are most important."

A tanned man with chains wrapped around his arms stomped up. "Skulduggery, I, The Brutal Craze, grant you the gift of persuasion for those who won't listen."

"Skulduggery, I, Colossal End," started a man with the hugest forehead she'd ever seen, "grant you the gift of an unbroken will to not keep you down."

The next was a man completely covered in black tattoos that sorta reminded Valkyrie of China. He wore nothing but a pair of leather black pants. "Skulduggery, I, The Nightmare, grant you the gift of dark intensions for life is short."

"Skulduggery, I, Frostbite," started a teenager with spiky electric blue hair, "grant you the gift the way to be merciless for not everyone deserves your respect."

To her amazement, she recognized the next as a vampire. "Skulduggery, I, The Grim Eater, grant you the gift of selfishness for you and only you deserve better."

The last was the man with red hair. The first young undertaker she met. "Skulduggery, I, The Atom Split, grant you the gift to diplomatic to listen to what people say."

Bloodlust spoke then, "Welcome, brother." Skulduggery stood motionless with his eyes closed. "Welcome, our own, The Merciless Angel."

The memory began to fade away...

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Next chapter to come! Please comment!