Skulduggery Pleasant - Becoming Whole (Valduggery)

1

Hallow abyss

Knave Hallow had slipped through their grasp for the third time this month.
For the third time fists had been thrown, arms had flailed, blood had been drawn and many many punches had landed, but non of these hits were made by the detectives on the case and not a single drop of blood had left Knave Hallow. They had been beaten and bruised not once, not twice, but three times.
Hallow was a necromancer Nihilist capable of controlling more than just the deceased, he could also control the living. One hundred and twenty years ago, Hallow had attempted to burn the world, and himself, out of existence. Part of some Nihilist business the sanctuary had thought, and though he didn't succeed in world destruction, he did get his wish of burning to death. So how he had survived was a little more than confusing to say the least. Theory was that his necromancy abilities were so powerful he was capable of  bringing even himself back from the world of the dead.
Frustrated was an understatement, for the detectives were used to kicking evil very hard in the face, not being kicked by it. So, as night fell over Roarhaven, Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain sat in the 1954 Bentley R-type Continental sulking.

"Did it ever occur to you that we might be sulking?" Valkyrie asked with her bottom lip sticking out, before she shoved a leaf in her mouth to stop the pain she was getting from her recently dislocated, and fixed, shoulder.

"No, Valkyrie, this isn't sulking. This is recognising defeat and not being overly happy about it." Skulduggery replied.

"So, sulking then." Valkyrie concluded.

A moment or two passed before the Skeleton detective spoke again. Valkyrie was sure if he could sigh that he would have done so, many times by now. "Valkyrie, take a long look at my face." She stared for a second before he continued. "Do I look like I'm sulking?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"No, it is not."

"You don't have a face, Skulduggery. How am I meant to know?" She sounded annoyed.

"Well, believe me when I say that I am most certainly not sulking. I never sulk, and even if I had a face I wouldn't be sulking, the very idea is-" He we cut off by Valkyrie activating the sigil on his collar bone. His Skull was now replaced by a brown haired man with blue eyes and his bottom lip sticking out, he was sulking.

"I knew it. Skulduggery Pleasant is sulking." Valkyrie laughed before wincing at the pain in her shoulder.

"This isn't a sulk, Valkyrie. This is my contemplation face."

"Your fat ego won't let you admit that you are sulking!" She laughed. "You shouldn't deny the truth!"

Skulduggery started up the Bentley and began to drive towards Gordon's house, completely ignoring her remark. He touched his collar bone and the facade faded away.

"I won't tell anyone." Valkyrie joked. "If....you admit you were sulking."

"What will it take for you to be quiet about this situation that I have found myself in? I can't bare a whole car ride with your conversations normally. How do you expect me to survive this one?" Skulduggery seemed defeated, eyes still fixated on the road ahead.

Valkyrie thought a moment. "Subway."

"Hmmmm?" He tilted his Skull towards her direction.

"Subway. I am hungry, so in return for my silence, I require subway-"

"Okay." He cut her off.

"Ah ah." Valkyrie wagged a finger at him, scolding him for interrupting. "I hadn't finished. I want to eat my subway in the car."

"No!" He protested almost immediately. "This car is not a restaurant and it certainly isn't a home for the crumbs you will inevitably leave scattered on my clean floor. I know you, Valkyrie. This has disaster, metaphorically, written all over it."

All Valkyrie could do was stare and chuckle to herself. "Well, looks like you're in for a long and annoying car journey. I wander whether you will still be sulking if I activate your facade..." she trailed off and reached over to touch his sigil before Skulduggery swatted her hand away with his own.

"Fine!" He had given in and turned the car around in the way of Valkyrie's beloved fast food take out. "But you have to eat it with your face out of the window."

"I'm not a dog!" Valkyrie complained, seeming very offended.

"Well, I guess you can't want your subway that much." He had a slight smugness in his voice. "It's not too late for me to turn the car back arou-"

"Fine!" She continued sulking before rummaging in the packet of leaves. She stuffed another in her mouth to numb the pain in her shoulder. "But I can't be sure I wont get sauce on the cars paint work." Skulduggery was certain he saw a faint smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"You are so annoying."

"But you love me."

"I wish I had never told you that, now you just use my words to mock me."

After her subway and complaining that she's had enough of being beaten up for the day, Skulduggery dropped Valkyrie off at Gordon's house. She still, after all these years, found it strange to call it her own. Sure, it was hers and had legally been her own since she was eighteen, but this was Gordon's house. This was her Uncle's home. The thought of Gordon brought memories of the echo stone flooding back through her mind. Opening the front door, she felt tears threaten in her eyes until she was greeted by Xena, her German Shepherd, jumping up at her. "Down girl. Down." She commanded through a smile and Xena complied. "Good girl!" Valkyrie remarked, shutting the front door behind her. Being alone, well almost alone, in America for five years, had left her with more time on her hands than she ever thought she would have. She'd used a large fraction of that time training Xena and it had actually paid off. Valkyrie nodded to herself and smiled, content at how much her friend had learnt. The memories of Gordon and the echo stone pushed themselves back into the corners of her mind, for now. They would surly return later.
Valkyrie hadn't even taken her shoes off before her phone rang. It was skulduggery. "Missing me already?" She joked into her phone, bending down to pet Xena.

"And they call me the vain one." If Skulduggery had eyes he would most certainly be rolling them. "It's Hallow. He's been found dead...again."