I decided to give tension between Skulduggery and Rife, why not?
Oracle and Vendetta shadow walked to Haggard.
"Disguise me." Oracle demanded.
"What?"
"Make me look like someone else." Vendetta glanced at someone and simply made Oracle into another person.
"You look somewhat familiar." Vendetta mentioned.
"Doesn't matter, go to the harbor." they landed on the docs, "Why on the docs?"
"I might've, possibly done something to someone here," Vendetta slurred her words, "in such a way that I could never forget."
Oracle didn't comment, "Now, change yourself." Vendetta sighed quickly changed in a blink of an eye, "Excellent." they sat down on the doc for a few hours, just talking. Vendetta didn't like it, but she didn't fully hate it either.
"Oracle, I truly, truly hate you and I want to slice your throat here and now, but I can't. As much as I hate you, you're OK to talk and hang with. If you weren't so demented, we might've been aquatints, at the most."
Oracle glanced at her and smiled "I'm a very likable person once you get passed my demonic plans, of course. All of my puppets liked chatting with me, but in the end they all died and you will too." Vendetta shrugged, she was in this position hundreds of times before. It's just best if she doesn't respond.
A text came from Valkyrie's phone.
"What is it?" Tanith asked.
"two people have shadow walked on the docs, one is identified at Mimi Eloquent and the other is a mortal." Valkyrie replied as she read her phone.
"Mimi doesn't shadow walk," Rife mentioned, "isn't she an adept?"
"She is." Skulduggery answered.
"Shape shifting?" Valkyrie guessed.
"I believe so," Rife darted for the door, "Where's Fletcher?"
"Here!" He called from down the hall, "And here's your stuff."
"Thank you, take us to the harbor." Fletcher took his distance from Valkyrie and touched Ghastly instead, they ended on the shore line.
"I'll be on that bench if you need me." Fletcher strolled to the bench and fell onto it.
"Right." Rife said to get everyone's attention, "Tanith, take this over by that speed boat" She nodded and ran to the destination, "Ghastly, drop this in the water, in the deepest depth." he obeyed and his hands shifted to get it in the right place, "I need you two here for the fighting part, thanks." Valkyrie sighed and Rife turned back to her, "Use this." he handed her a cloaking sphere.
"This isn't really going to work for us, Rife."
"I know, I got Nye to enhance it. The field will now extend to thirty yards, it'll last for at least an hour and it's waterproof."
"Nice… How do I activate it?"
"Like all of them", Rife simulated with his hands, "twist it."
Valkyrie tried twisting one direction and than the other, "It won't work." Rife took the sphere and turned it in multiple directions.
"Get me some dirt." Valkyrie picked up some sand instead. Rife took it and rubbed the sphere. Soon enough the sand packed up in a line, "Twist it there." and he tossed it back to her.
"Do you still need me?" Fletcher called from behind.
Do you still need me? Oracle heard, she knows what they're thinking. She knows everything.
"We should get out of here." Oracle suggested.
"Why?" Vendetta frowned, "Can't you fight against them?"
"Not unless you want to do it?" Vendetta glared at her and shadows consumed them, "Wait, not there."
"OK? But it'll take a little longer though."
"Just do it."
"Over there!" Some one cried. Shadows swam around Vendetta and Oracle.
"Sphere, now." Rife ordered and Valkyrie twisted it. The field made the air contort as it passed. The field reached the other two items and created a chain reaction. The one in the water expanded a blue field of it's own and the one that Tanith held rolled around and she dropped it, it than rolled to the focal point of both fields. But it was too late, by the time the second field started Vendetta and Oracle were gone.
"Damn it." Valkyrie muttered, "We lost them… what were they supposed to do anyways?"
"Nothing, really. Just a show, but the sphere is real."
Valkyrie said nothing, she just frowned, "What were you trying to gain from making them both run?" Skulduggery sternly asked.
"I've stopped to things at once." Rife defended, "Oracle's plans and stopped Vendetta becoming Drac!"
"But you've let them get away!" Skulduggery countered.
"Stop it! The both of you!" Rife eased and Skulduggery stood rigid, "At least he had a plan, Skulduggery." Neither commented. Ghastly just watched in awe, "Don't all plans have a flaw?" Everyone still stood in silence, "Rife's plan did what we basically needed to do, get Oracle away and make sure Vendetta doesn't go Drac."
Vendetta and Oracle shadow walked in a forestry part of France.
"Damn it!" Oracle screamed.
"What?"
"Tenterhooks was one step ahead of me!"
"Now what are you going to do?"
"Fall back until things settle."
"Are you scared?" Vendetta taunted.
"N-no."
"You are, aren't you?"
"Never." Oracle shot a glare at Vendetta and her knees buckled as she cried out.
"You are scared!" Oracle looked harder and Vendetta started to stagger towards her, "You're weak!" She spat. Vendetta shot shadows around them and shadow walked.
"Yes." Rife answered. Fletcher jumped up and walked over, "Have you been to France?"
"Which lake?" Fletcher caught on.
"Surprise me." Fletcher teleported everyone to a populated lake, than to another. They found a perfect spot, according to Rife.
"Why here?" Tanith asked.
"Based on legend, this is the lake." No one commented, except for Skulduggery.
"On what evidence?" Skulduggery pressed.
"Legend and Vendetta's instincts." Rife replied, "Not much difference with the scepter. Now is it?" Skulduggery fell silent and leaned against a tree.
No one said a word for the rest of the time.
Before Oracle could stop Vendetta they shadow walked into a lake.
"You didn't stop me?" Vendetta taunted, "You are weak!" Oracle pressed her lips and tried to do anything but Vendetta's hand splayed and Oracle was thrust down into the water.
Vendetta's words echoed across the lake and Valkyrie turned to see a splash.
"Did you see that?" Valkyrie asked, "There was a splash."
Ghastly put his hand in the water, "What are you doing?" Rife asked.
"Feeling the water." No one interjected, "There's something down there."
In the water Vendetta was blasting Oracle deeper and deeper. Oracle couldn't take much more, she gained a glare at Vendetta, who lost her breath and sank. Vendetta kept sinking until she hit the bottom. Oracle weekly swam to the surface and loudly gasped for air that echoed.
Everyone heard the gasp.
"Who's that?" Tanith asked as she slid out her sword.
"Oracle." Skulduggery mumbled and his hands splayed. The water carried Oracle to them, "Where's Vendetta?"
She didn't answer, instead she glared at Tanith. She swung her sword towards Valkyrie's neck. Ghastly jumped in behind Tanith and restrained her arms. Oracle smiled and turned her attention to Valkyrie, "Who shot tendrils of shadows at Ghastly. It was madness.
Like the tension? I do… will Vendetta and Rife ever be friends again? it's madness I say, MADNESS!