We all know the story. Ravel betrays the dead men and kills some of his brothers. Well what if those brothers didn't die?

They where in the medical bay. China had called them and told them there was something important.

1 hour before.

They had left the Accelerator room half an hour earlier and they were now just walking the halls. A few people had tried to stop them but skulduggery pleasant and Valkyrie Cain were not the type to be stopped by someone they didn't even know. They had just entered the cafeteria when Valkyrie's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Valkyrie. It's china. There's something you and Mr. Pleasant will want to see." she paused "How are you skulduggery? I'm guessing you found a way around the accelerator problem?"

"Hello. Yes I assure you it's a moving tale but why is the almighty one calling us instead of her servants?" skulduggery asked, still edgy.

"I can't explain over the phone. If you two would please come to the medical bay in oh lets say one hour?"

"Alright."

"Oh and Valkyrie?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind telling Mr. Vex and Mr. Rue to go there too? They will want to see this too."

"Ok… Goodbye china."

"See you in a while child."

She called Dexter and told him to meet them there. Now that they had something to do they moved through the sanctuary even faster. Workers flattened themselves against the walls to let them through. The rumours that had been following them now buzzed around them as they walked back through the crowds.

"There they are…"

"I was told he threw the former grand mage in it."

"Did you know their not charging her?"

"Apparently they're saying it's not her fault."

Skulduggery placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her down another corridor.

"Ignore them. They don't get it."

Valkyrie nodded and turned left. Tanith emerged from a room to their right.

"China called you too?"

Skulduggery nodded his hand still on Valkyrie's shoulder. Tanith glanced at it and Valkyrie glared at her.

"Come on."

Back to present

China stepped in and smiled. It wasn't like her normal smile. It was tired and strained.

"First of all Mr. Vex and Mr. Rue I would like to ask that you don't do those things in my lobby. It's not professional."

Saracen blushed and Dexter grinned.

"They are never professional." Valkyrie pointed out grumpily.

"Someones touchy."

"No I'm not touchy. I'm grumpy and tired. And he's annoying."

"I'm wonderful." Skulduggery muttered.

Saracen scowled.

"I don't like you."

"Saracen no-one likes us anymore. I'll add you to the list."

"Can we please get back to the subject at hand?" China asked impatiently.

"Of course. Are you planning on telling us what that is?" skulduggery asked.

"Actually I was wondering if I could?" A voice said from behind them.

They all turned and Valkyrie and tanith screamed.

"Well I was hoping for a more positive reaction.." Ghastly bespoke muttered.

Tanith and Valkyrie jumped ghastly making him stumble backwards.

"Your definitely dead now bespoke." Skulduggery says sadly.

"I guess that makes me a ghost?"

Valkyrie let go of ghastly and turned to Anton. She then started hitting him while tanith slapped ghastly. Skulduggery grabbed Valkyrie from around the waist and lifted her away while Saracen and Dexter grabbed tanith's arms and dragged her away.

"What the hell! Why are you here? What's going on?" Valkyrie was screaming at them pulling at skulduggery's arms trying to reach Anton and Ghastly again.

"Valkyrie calm down. Calm down. They will explain everything. It's ok Valkyrie." Skulduggery said holding onto her tighter pulling her to him.

She had sunk down on the floor and skulduggery was beside his arms still around her.

"Valkyrie…"

She sighed and looked at them.

"You better have a good reason or I swear I'll kill you myself."

Anton nodded and began. "We were approached by a sensitive who saw what would happen. He wasn't a sanctuary agent but he showed us and we made preparations."

"Anton found signal expert who could change our reflections so they had our magic and were more realistic." Ghastly continued.

"I thought you could only have one reflection?" Valkyrie said her detective instincts kicking in.

"Yeah but we never had any need for ours since one; they hadn't been discovered when we were young and two; we live in magic community's so we had no use for them."

"Fine. Ok. That explains your 'deaths' but why did you wait so long?" Dexter asked getting his voice back.

"The same man was already hiding someone and he informed us when it was safe to leave. We haven't had any outside contact other than him."

"No outside contact?" Valkyrie asked looking worried.

Anton glanced at her. "He told us what he knew."

She bit her lip and nodded leaning back against skulduggery.

"You said the sensitive was already hiding someone?" Skulduggery asked trying to take the attention away from Valkyrie.

"Ah yes. You know him actually." Ghastly said looking away from Valkyrie.

"I swear to god if kenspeckle grouse walks through that door and starts giving me a lecture I'll start shooting."

"A bit further back."

"Bespoke answer him." Valkyrie growled standing.

Ghastly raised his hands in defeat. "Come on in."

A tall man stepped into the room. He was bald with piercing blue eyes and a sharp grey suit. There was silence until…

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Hello miss Cain, dead men."

"Mr Bliss."

Valkyrie stepped forward and looked at bliss. He looked right back at her. His eyes were the same as when Valkyrie first met him but instead of looking away she held his gaze. He nodded slightly to her and she did something no one expected. Valkyrie wrapped her arms around the legendary Mr. Bliss and after a moments hesitation he hugged her back.

"Nice to have you back." She said stepping back and leaning against the wall.

"Nice to be back."

Dexter and Saracen had loosened their grip in shock and seeing her chance Tanith leapt on ghastly wrapping her arms around his neck. He laughed and picked her up.

"Want to explain?" Saracen asked.

"You don't know?"

"I knew somewhat about ghastly and Anton but I hadn't seen or heard of bliss for even longer than you."

"I was informed from the same man as you know and I decided to stay in peace. When Mr bespoke and Mr shudder came I knew I had to leave with them."

"Does this sensitive have a name?" skulduggery asked impatiently.

"He does." Anton said.

"Do you want to tell us it? Or is this amusing you?"

"It is amusing and he has asked not to have his name passed around."

Valkyrie groaned and walked out of the room. There was a series bangs and she came back with a waiting room chair.

"I thought they were connected to the floor?"

"Yes, they're connected to the floor Dexter. I pulled it out of the ground and dragged it in here." Valkyrie snapped rolling her eyes.

"What were those bangs?"

"A guy tried to stop me and I kept going so he tried to punch me."

"Tried?"

"He punched the wall."

Bliss's PoV (Kind of his thoughts)

Bliss watched her carefully. This wasn't the Valkyrie Cain he had known. She was older of course but there was something else. She had the air that she had seen things no one should see. Even when she looked him in the eyes she held his gaze and then hugged him. Not even the bravest of men had held his gaze in a long time. This woman in front of him had gone through so much and had emerged changed.

General PoV

"Wait what about Necropolis? I saw you…" Skulduggery trailed off sounding confused.

"You said that the Validator told you that they were the people you lost. We all lost bliss, ghastly and Anton but he never said they were actually dead." Valkyrie mused.

"Sneaky basterd." He muttered.

"What happened?" Ghastly asked confused.

"I got dragged down a hole. Then I got out of the hole and pushed him down it."

"How very you."

Valkyrie sighed, "Your going off topic."

"How very us."

Bliss, as always, pulled them back on track. "We needed to have a proper meeting and discus everything that happened."

It happened so suddenly no one could stop them. Tanith and Valkyrie glanced at each other and bolted out of the room and down the hall as fast as they could.

"Enjoy the meeting boys!" Valkyrie yelled pelting down the corridor.

Tanith cackled madly following Valkyrie quickly.

"Dammit." Skulduggery muttered before speaking loudly. "Well I'll just go after them…"

"No, stay. They will find out everything afterwards anyways." Bliss ordered.

"Lets begin."

China informed them off everything that needed to be done and they went their separate ways, skulduggery and ghastly going to find the girls, Anton heading to his hotel and Dexter and Saracen going to find food.

The dead men had a habit for rising again and while they didn't know it they would see their brothers-in-arms rise for a third time…

I have to say I'm pleased with my ending! ~ Scarlet.