March 26, 1930 - - - - Dublin, Ireland
Valkyrie looked up from her tears to see that they were no longer in the hospital. It was a house. A nicely furnished house in the colors of autumn. It made her feel cozy. She stood up awkwardly and looked around herself. She seemed to be standing in a living room.
She heard noises coming from a hallway in front of her and was just about to investigate when Skulduggery Pleasant walked in holding something in his arms. She watched him place it on the lush couch and call back into the hallway. "Come on we're going to be late." He moved out of her line of sight and she saw his child. Valkyrie couldn't help herself and she ran up to the baby and made to touch his head. Her fingers went right through it.
Skulduggery returned and sat next to the boy. He began putting on his shoes as the child stared curiously at his father. "What?" Skulduggery joked, "Never seen a man put on shoes before?"
The baby just stared and smiled.
"Oh, you're so cute," Skulduggery cooed and kissed the baby's head. "Oh Johnathan, I'm almost hating leaving you behind."
Valkyrie looked around when she heard footsteps approaching and the woman from the hospital showed up in the doorway. "Where's your tux?"
"In the car where you told me to put it," Skulduggery replied getting to his feet.
"Good," she smiled and adjusted the long bag she was holding in her arms.
The door bell rang then and Skulduggery went to answer it. Valkyrie followed behind him and when they reached the front door, Valkyrie noticed a calendar. 1930.... The year Skulduggery died.... She whipped her head around to Skulduggery who was adjusting his shirt before opening the door. She didn't know he gained everything in one year and lost it all in the same time period.
Skulduggery opened the door and was amazed to see China's face. She was smiling in her familiar yet eerie way since she'd seen it so many times before.
"Skulduggery," she greeted.
"China," Skulduggery crossed his arms, "Glad you can make it."
"Yeah after you told me you were alive all this time."
"Yeah thought you'd be over that by now."
"I am. I'm just pointing that out again since you're asking me to babysit your accident child."
Skulduggery scrunched up his face in anger. "Look who's talking."
"Come on, Skulduggery," she smiled, "Let's not dwell on the past." Valkyrie made a face at her as China walked in.
"China," said Skulduggery's wife. She assumed she was his wife at least.
"Catherine," China greeted.
"Well," intruded Skulduggery, "We'd better get going before we're late for our own wedding."
Then why was Skulduggery and Catherine leaving their child behind? Valkyrie wondered.
"I'll take good care," China assured them.
Valkyrie watched as Skulduggery and Catherine gathered their belongings and she followed them out. The door closed on China's smiling face. She didn't want to leave the child alone. She respected China and all but Skulduggery had always told her not to trust China. So why was Skulduggery giving his most prized possession to this woman? Did the no trust rule happen later? The scene began to darken...
June 23, 1930 - - - - Dublin, Ireland
Valkyrie appeared in the same house except this time it was darker. Evening, she guessed. She heard the front door slam and Skulduggery Pleasant walked in. He was angry. He was tired but his familiar young appearance still lingered. She knew his time was drawing near.
Catherine walked in and silently walked up to Skulduggery. The baby must have been asleep cause there was no noise. She stood in front of him. "Was it horrible today?"
Skulduggery was quiet for a moment but then he choked. "I saw my men die for me out there. Again, they put their lives out there for me and no one else. I swear one day, I'll bring the end of this war. I will kill Mevolent and they wouldn't have to die for me anymore..." He placed his head in his hands.
Catherine took her place next to him and hugged his lean figure. "You are going the right way, my love. You will avenge those who have fallen." She kissed him. "I know you will. I love you."
Valkyrie felt Catherine's words pull at her heart. At least she was there for Skulduggery when she couldn't be. The image faded away...
October 20, 1930 - - - - Dublin, Ireland
The sunset of that autumn day was soothing. Valkyrie stood beside the roadside as Skulduggery appeared to her right. He seemed almost happy.
"Thank the gods they let me leave early today," he said to himself. Valkyrie followed as he walked up to his house and went through the front door. "Catherine!" he called. "Guess what the good news is?" There was silence. "Catherine?" He closed the door.
Valkyrie whipped her head to the calendar. October 1930... No...
"Catherine?" Skulduggery repeated. He took a step forward and there was suddenly a cry from the kitchen. He sprinted for the sound and Valkyrie began to dread turning the corner.
Skulduggery and Valkyrie both arrived to see Nefarian Serpine standing behind the mother and her child. Johnathan was still asleep undisturbed.
"Skulduggery Pleasant," Serpine hissed the words, "So nice of you to join us."
"Serpine, let them go," Skulduggery responded with malice.
"Didn't think I'd find where you were hiding now did you?" he taunted.
"Let them go."
"Not likely."
Skulduggery lunged at Serpine but Serpine put out his hand and blasted him back with a wave of shadows.
Serpine then removed his glove to reveal his red hand. Smiling at Skulduggery, he pointed a finger at Catherine Pleasant. Her cries pierced Valkyrie's ears as she withered in pain. Serpine put out his hand again went Skulduggery tried to come to her aid. The wall came to life with hands and grabbed Skulduggery by his feet.
"Catherine!" Skulduggery cried, "Serpine stop! I'll do whatever you want!"
But Serpine didn't cease. He didn't cease and the baby began to cry. Valkyrie wanted to help with all her being but she knew this had already happened once before.
Catherine's cries turned into screams and Valkyrie knew she was on the verge of death. She would know.
"Catherine!" Skulduggery yelled, tears streaming down his face. Her yelling came to a halt and Skulduggery fought against the necromancy spell harder. "Catherine! Don't leave me!"
Serpine smiled at Skulduggery's pain when Catherine stopped moving... stopped breathing... "That was nice," said Serpine over the child s cries. "Now lets see how painful it is to see your one and only child die."
"NO! SERPINE STOP!" yelled Skulduggery at the top of his lungs, "DON'T! LET HIM LIVE!"
"Now where is the fun in that?" He pointed the red hand at Johnathan and Valkyrie found herself crying out for him with Skulduggery as well.
The baby's pain was worse then his mothers. It was the sound of an innocent life being stripped away. A horrible sound that she knew would haunt her for the rest of her life. Skulduggery's cries were as equal to Johnathans if not worse. Valkyrie crumpled to her knees crying but couldn't bear to look away.
Serpine enhanced the child s pain and soon there was a crack and a gurgling sound coming from where Johnathan. Valkyrie yelled out when she gazed at the baby's mangled body, tortured until it snapped its self in half.
"NO! YOU SON OF BITCH! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME? NO! MY FAMILY! NO!" He yelled out in anguish and suffering as Serpine kicked Catherine's body to the side and kicked Johnathan's body underneath the kitchen table.
"It hurts doesn't it? That's what you get for being one of them." Serpine waved his hand to let Skulduggery go.
Valkyrie shouted to him, her efforts wasted, for him not to touch the knife on the counter. Skulduggery's fingers curled around the weapon and he made for Serpine. Serpine just stood there with his arms crossed.
Before Skulduggery had made it across the room, he collapsed at Serpine's feet. He was paralyzed.
"Well that wasn't very smart now was it?" grinned Serpine.
Valkyrie closed her eyes. She didn't want to see anymore. She didn't want to see the memories of torture or Skulduggery's execution. She didn't want to see Skulduggery's memories anymore...
She suddenly felt a pull at the back of her mind. It reminded her of the time Serpine used his red hand on her. How she almost died. She felt it pulling...
ValPoint of View ----- Dublin, Ireland ------ Present Day
Valkyrie felt herself collide with the ground with a rush and she just laid there. She stared up at the ceiling and thought about what had happened and why it happened. Gordon...
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Man I cried just writing it I hope you enjoyed this last chapter of the mini sub section What Have You Done More to come plz comment =]
