Chapter Text
It's like the shadow cast by a cloud. Most of the time she doesn't really realise that she is standing in the dark. Then she takes a step outside and everything is suddenly brighter, the colours more vibriant and every smile just a little bit more joyful.
It's a cliche.
Yet she can't help it, it is what it is.
A numb pain that got smaller and smaller every day, but never went away completly. Something no one ever sees, not something most people now either. It's jus to akward.
,,Really what are you sad about?"
,,That guy I dated."
,,Oh how long ago was that?"
,,Two hundred years - and I know most people don't even live that long, but I still miss him. I miss the way his eyes got those little wrinkles, when he laughed or smiled. I miss holding him or touching him. I miss everything."
It feels pathetic.
It is pathetic.
Yet it is what she feels when she lets herself feel it.
An Incredible sadness that the guy she loved died.
Chapter Text
,,It's Sunday."
;,That is not how our job works."
,,It should though."
,,Our job is a gift, something most people won't ever be able to do-much less do as good as we do."
,,Our job is a gift five days a week - on weekends it is a curse."
,,People need us."
,,People will have to wait."
,,The world could be in danger.
,,As long at is only a could be..."
,,For god's sake get out of bed."
,,My bed doesn't want me to leave it though and I could never break its heart like this.. Do you know how cruel that would be?"
,,Valkyrie...?"
With a smile the dark haired women turned towards her parnter, turning away from her phone ,,Yes my dear?"
,,Please leave, I want to sleep."with sleepy eyes Melissa looked at her and gestured for her to get out of bed ,,Go save the world honey."
..........
,,I hate you."grumbled Valkyrie as she got into the Bentles.
,,I know."Skulduggery happily agreed, as he started driving away from her house, with her warm bed inside of it.
,,You shouldn't be this happy so early in the morning."
,,It's 6 am, the birds sind, the sun shines and we got a double suicide."Valkyrie cast a doubtful look at the grey landscape, with no bird far and near and the sun hiding behind clouds, as if itself also didn't want to get up yet.
,,I'm pretty sure you should't be happy murders at last."
,,I am a detective, so I am sure there is an exception to be mader there."
Valkyrie shrugged it off and turned away from the landscape passing them by ,,Who died anyway?"
,,Now you are asking the right questions."
,,I didn't asked any questions before."
,,That is excactly the problem I am talking about."
Glaring her eyes, she turned towards him ,,If I have through suffer through this the whole car ride, there will be another murder case...."
,,Ah, of course I forgot." the detective tilted his head ,,Look at the side of the car."
Suspicous she did. There was a bag. A brown bag. Carefulls she tool the bag into her hands.
,,Is there a bomb inside of it?"
,,Why should there be a bomb?"
Mistrustful she glanced at him ,,Is that a no?"
,,Did I say the word no?"
,,So there is a bomb inside of it?"
,,I didn't say that either"
,,You are usless" she gazed inside.
,,I heavily object to that."he cast her a glance ,,Now is there a bomb inside?"
,,No and shouldn't you know that?"she took a bite from her muffin ,,It is good though."
,,Perfect",he straightened up ,,So when will you stop being hangry?"
,,In about an hour or so."
,,Oh."
,,Why are we stopping?"
,,One normally stops, when one has arrived at ones destination."
,,This doesn't look like our destination, where is the dead body?"
,,We don't only go to places with dead people."
,,Fair, so who are we going to punch?"
,,OK, we don't only go to places to look at dead people or punch someone."
Narrowing her eyes Valkyrie turned to him ,,Since you are dead, at least I am always going to a place with at least one dead person."
,,Let's just get out."
Standing outside in the cold rain didn't improve Valkyries mood.
,,So you dragged me out of my comfortable, warm bed with my wonderful girlfriend inside of it to show me...a hill?"
,,A very pretty green hill."
Turning towards him she glared ,,I will kill you. I will kill you and bury your body right here at this nice hill you like so much."
,,Maybe we should first get at the top of the hill?"
,,This better be good."
They labored quitely for ten minutes to get up, then they stepped through it.
,,Cloaking sphere?"
,,No, these ruins are permantly hidden from the rest of the world."
,,Why they don't look particulary interesting."
And they didn't. If anything they were the most average looking ruins, she had ever seen.
They had a faded out grey, like a shirt washed too many times, the broken walls didn't stand up tall, and nature had claimed a good part of most walls anyhow.
,,It's not about their looks."
She collected a little bit of the podwer in her hand and then let the wind blow it across the ruins. ,,No magic usuage, at least not recently."
,,No recent magic usuage."
,,They didn't need to, follow me."they kept walking along the wall until they walked through a small broken entrance.
..No dead body."
,,No."
,,So this is...?"
,,A hole Valkyrie, I hoped you leanted at least something from me."
,,If you don't get to the point soon enough I will bury you in this hole..."
,,That would be quite sad, since then you will never find out what this is about." he turned to her ,,What can you see?"
,,A freshly dug hole, maybe 6 feet deep, but not particular wide, at least not wide enough to put a body inside of it."
,,Not a whole body."he agreed.
,,So what? Parts?"
,,Yes indeed, a foot in this case."
,,A foot?"
,,Yes."
,,You woke me up so we can search for a foot?"
,,It is a very important foot."
,,I deeply don't care."
Notes:
Would you wake up early in the moring, then drive a good hour to go searching for a missing foot?
Chapter 3: Without Honor
Chapter Text
,,I can't believe we are doing this."
Crouching low they both observed the castel from afar.
,,You can't believe a lot of things."
,,Hey."
,,It's true though."
,,It..."
,,Stop."he cut them out, crouching down next to them.
,,We all have to concentrate on more important matters."
,,You are right, there are more important matters, we should go back.."
,,No."he glared at both of them ,,This is important. Right now and here."
The thee man excahnged glances.
,,Fine, are the others ready?"
,,Yes the plan is in motion."
,,I can't believe that this is what we have been degraded too..."
Chapter Text
The house before them was squisehd in between its neighbours as if it had been added later on.
It didn't look nice or normal and neither did it look haunted or creeps. It was just really ugly, with crooked windows, a vomit greend-brown door.
,,Please tell me we will at least punch someone."Valkyrie looked at the house dissaprovingly.
,,Maybe we are visting an old friend."Skulduggery cocked his head.
,,I am not above punching your friends."
Skulduggery sighed ,,Sometimes I fear, that you are quite violent."
,,I wonder where I learned that from.."
They took the three, squeaking stairs up until they stood before the vomit door.
,,Even the doorbell looks like it doesn't want to be here."
And it did not look like it wanted to. Indeed it looked as if it was only seconds from falling of.
Skulduggery rang all the same.
The doorbell fell of.
Muttering he bent down and gahtered it.
With a creak the doors swung open.
Behind it there was a dimyl lit corridor and no person in sight.
,,Seems like we are welcome."Skulduggery said joyfully and stepped in and called ,,Mr Hopkins?"
,,We are looking for Mr Hopkins?"
,,Oh yes, didn't I mention this?"
,,No.",Valkyrie said sourly ,,In fact you have refused to answer any of my questions..."
He tilted his head ,,Maybe you didn't ask the right questions."
,,Maybe you will I take your hat collection and set it on fire, if you don't start beeing helpful."
,,Mr Hopkins is an old friend from the war."
,,I wouldn't say friend."
The man was tall, taller then Skulduggery and scrwany. Truth be told he looked a little like a slightly starved giraffe.
,,I mean not now, back then I thought so."
Hopkin's eyes narrowed ,,You called me an imbicel."
,,As a joke."
,,You said explicitly that it wasn't a joke."
,,Ah, I forgot that. Good aquaintances then."
,,Bad aquiantances."
,,Well, this did not work out how I hoped.
Hopkins sighed ,,What do you want."
,,Nice of you to ask. Do you remember our last mission?"
His eyes grew even narrower ,,No, and neither should you."
,,Well things change, I need to know."
,,You know exactly what you need to know."
,,I disagree."
,,I don't."
,,OK; even though I find this all I highly entertaining what the hell are we talking about?"
,,The last mission me and my dear friend-" ,,aquaintances" - ,,had, you should really work on your listining skills, I don't know how you could C2 in english."
,,It's my mother tongue obvoiously I have C2 and stop distracting me!"
Chapter Text
,,He's useless." she dropped those words just as she sat down opposite of Tanith and Aurora.
,,No talking about men please."Aurora took a sip of her beer.
,,Or about obvious things, we all know that Skulduggery is useless."
Valkyries frowned at them ,,I thougt girls nights were for talking about men and the obvious."
,,Oh no they are for us to talk about deep philosophical things."
,,Like?"
,,..Nietzsche?"
Valkyrie crossed her arms ,,I always listen to your weird boy stuff."
,,I wouldn't say weird.."
,,Do I need to remind you off the time you told me about you and Ghastly trying that new sex thing with a toothbrush?"
,,I hardly would call that weird."
Valkyrie sighed ,,OK maybe the sex stuff I understand, but listening to you introducing Ghastly to your family....
,,I couldn't know!"
,,Well I didn't know I was searching for a foot!"
,,A foot?" Aurora laughed.
Fuming Valkyrie glared at her ,,Yes and he keeps insisting it is an important foot."
,,Maybe it is a feet fethis thing."suggested Tanith ,,Afterall I always did suspect that he had odd taste."
,,No kink shaming please! Did he say why the foot is so important?"
,,No he just keeps running in circles, refusing any queastions and the witnesses we ask... they are almost worse."
,,Worse?"
,,Yes, they all shot down every single question and half of them... we look for them and then figure out that they don't live where they should, or don't work..."
,,Well why you have been chasing some foot around the world I have started training new cleavers."
,,That's so not fair."
,,It is going amazing, the numbers are up and a lot show a good deal of promise."
,,Great the only promise the new future holds is more conversations about feet."
,,Some people would love that."
,,I'm not some people."
...........
,,I'm not sure why we have to do this."
,,It's for your own best."Dexter sighed ,,I get that and all, but..." standing before the door he stopped.
,,No, buts if the women can hace a girl night where they talk shit about us we can do the same."Skullduggery insisted and pushed him through.
Ghastly frowned ,,I don't think we can."
,,Oh no it is farirly easy, you could for example tell us about the toothbrush sex thing you and Tanith did."
,,The-? You know, how? Valkyrie."absent minded Ghastly pushed a chair back for Dexter to sit in.
,,Obviously."Skulduggery set a beer down in front of Dexter.
,,But then I don't need to tell you."
,,Not me per se, but Dexter still doesn't know."
,,I'm not sure I want to know."sighing he took a sip of his beer.
,,Honestly it was pretty great."sitting down oppsite of him Ghastly smiled at Dexter.
,,No some things are better left unsaid."turning to Skull he smiled ,,Valkyrie mentioned something intresting though - I hear you have a foot fethish?"
Chapter Text
Her eyes flew open and for a second she was confused.
Sleep was ready to claim her again, than she heared it.
Steps.
For a second she waited letting her eyes adjust to the dim light.
Careful to make no sound she slipped out of her bed, glad Militsa was not there.
Her feet hit the soft carpet and she was glad her love had insisted on something so plushy.
No sound would betray as she got up and walked the few steps to where her stick lay.
The other person on the other hand wasn't so lucky, their steps betrayed them clearly to her.
Shoes hitting the wooden floor almost carelessly.
As soon as she found her stick she chose a spot that she determined would be hidden from plain view, once the person entered but also get her into hitting distance.
The steps got louder.
Her muscles tensed.
The door opened and a woman revealed herself her eyes bright.
Valkyrie stroke, she doged and they went down.
A beam of crackling energy, but the assilant was good and the shot missed.
A hit to the head and Valkyrie felt herself going momentarly numb losing the stick.
Trying to put distance between them she kicked the attacker.
She on the other hand doged and closed in, a silver flash revealed some kind of dagger.
Then the dagger hit, slicing thtough muscles and skin, closing in on her nack.
Cursing Valkyrie put her hands underneath her assilant in a last ditch effort.
Energy ran through her and for a moment the dark room lit up with light.
Then it was over.
.........
,,She's....quite dead."
,,I know."
,,OK, then why do you look so mad?"
,,This is your fault."
,,My fault?"
,,Yes."
,,So the woman you killed in self-defense is my fault?"
,,Yes."
,,OK."Skulduggery just nodded ,,Why?"
,,She was here for the foot business."
,,Oh, how so, did she say something before she died?"
Valkyrie looked at the corpse that had a very large....nothing where the torso should have been ,,Not exactly."
,,Did she wear a nice foot braclet around her neck?"
Valkyrie narrowed her eyes ,,Listen smarty pants, I've had enough. I've wasted my Sundays talking to some witnesses that continue to say nothing. I've been following your lead trusting you to reveal what is happening at the right moment. The moment that killer barged in here your time was over. So suck it up and tell me."
,,Ah I feared that moment would come."
,,So tell me."
,,You see I can't."
,,I'm sure you can, you quite like talking so why not do a little more?"
,,It's not that easy."
,,It is."
With a sigh Skulduggery gestures to the dead woman ,,Can she speak?"
,,You are NOT that kind of dead."
,,It does not matter." he shakes his head ,,Somethings can't be spoken about."
Valkyrie frowns ,,Such as...?"
Skulduggery just continues to look at her ,,Like this."
,,So you can't talk about this."
,,At least not with you."
,,OK, call me when you can."
,,Valkyrie.."
,,No, I'm serious."she points at the door ,,Comeback when you have a good excuse."
Chapter 7: Funny bones
Chapter Text
,,This is not what I expected, when I entered the profession."
,,None of us did."she carefully places a plastic box on the table."
,,You put the hand into that?"he frowns.
,,Yes why?"
,,It's just...not respectful."
She frowns ,,So what? It's not like he's going to complain about it or anything."
,,It's just not right."
,,Why?"
,,You put him into a lunch box Mara."
,,No, I it into my lunch box. Anyway you put the foot into a box, Glorious."
,,Yes, I put him into a nice wodden box - the way it should be."
Mara sighs, opens the lid and turns the box upside down, letting the bones fall out.
They scatter on the table.
,,You can't do that eiher!"
,,Why that?"
,,It's not respectful."
She just sighs.
.......................
,,You're an idot."
,,I haven't even told you anything."gracefully SKulduggery sits down opposite of Ghastly.
,,You don't need to."still Ghastly hasn't looked up from the papers before him ,,Tanith told me."
,,So you know I'm in the right."carefully Skulduggery places his hat on the right side of the table.
Ghastly sighs,,You are in the doghouse my friend. We also both know she is in the right. So just tell her."
,,I can't."
Now Ghastly looks up, slowly pushes the papers away and carefulls regards his friends face ,,You can't?"
,,Yes."
,,So we are truthfully and awfully fucked?"
,,Not yet."
Ghastly slowly exhales ,,So the plan..?"
Skulduggery shakes his head ,,Not existant. So far no leads have turned up and all people I have asked.."
,,..said nothing."
,,Because they can't either."
,,Great."Ghastly sighs ,,One more thing to worry about - I will put it on the list."
,,That list."
Ghastly turns to look where Skulduggery is pointing ,,Oh no that's one of my to do lists."
,,One?"
,,There are several floating around in various stages....of giving up."Ghastly points behind Skulduggery ,,My urgent problem list is in that drawer."
,,Why?"
,,I just don't like it."
,,Awww."Skulduggery gets up and opens the drawer then he whistles ,,That's quite a list."
,,Please don't remind me, I am trying desperatley to forget."
.......................
Carefully turning right and left Fletcher examines his reflection.
,,Perfection."he mouthes then he's gone.
Valkyrie nods at him and he takes a seat opposite to her at the cafe table
,,So Val, what's the important hot topic? Did Melitsa break up with you?"
,,What no?"
,,Oh."Flechter tried his hardest to not look suprised.
,,Why would we?"
,,No reason in particular - just some rumours in the school floating around."
Valkyrie sighed ,,I hate gossip."
,,Yesterday you asked me for the hottest tea!"
,,Yes but that was yesterday, when I wanted to hear about other people's problems. It's only funny if it's not your drama."Valkyrie nipped at her coffee ,,So, anyway I will need you to get me to a few locations."
Fletcher crossed his arms ,,So, you didn't text me because you wanted to spent time with me?"
,,I need you Fletch."
,,I know. But I get phone calls and texts from people who need me all the time, somtimes I just want a person to want me."He smiled sadyl at her ,,Don't get me wrong I don't mean that in any romantic way, just platonic you know..?"
,,Aren't Gracious and Donnegan...?"
Fletcher shrugged ,,They're always busy writing books hunting monsters. Sure sometimes we play some DnD but that's about it."
,,Hey, I'm sorry. I'll try to be more considerate."
Fletcher grinned at her ,,We both know you won't be."
Chapter 8: Paris
Chapter Text
,,I can't believe we are in Paris."
,,I know."
,,The city with the Louvre, the eiffel tower the...other stuff."
,,The other stuff?"
,,Yes, honestly I don't know much more about Paris... Anyway I can't believe we are in the city off Love and this is where we chose to spent our time."
,,Ah come on..."
,,No seriously Val." Tanith broadly gestured ,,This is not what I had in mind when you said, let's do a weekend trip to Paris."
,,Honestly."Aurora said, putting away an old dusty book ,,Me neither." and she turned to Tanith ,,You should be seriously able to know more about Paris then the Louvre and the eiffel tower."
,,I would know more if we were up there exploring Paris instead of this...."
,,This, is important."Valkyrie gestured vaguely to the book shelves around them ,,Somewhere here could be the answer to everything."
Aurora sighed ,,Honestly, I'm not sure. As long as we don't know what time period is important we are lost. The place you and Skulduggery went to - they are old. Not a couple of decades even they are all at least eight hundred years old."
,,Well then couldn't we limit the range by looking up the age of the soccers?"
Tanith and Valkyrie both looked at Aurora.
,,Well, let's see. The fist guy was named Hopkins wasn't he?"
,,Yes."
,,So Hopkins is around eight hundred years old as well. Just like Flufferskin, but oh...I think the third guy might be around two hundred years old."
,,Well, that's a clue, so it has to have happend somwhere two hundred years ago."
,,More like one hundred eighty years if you consider that Skulduggery probably didn't hand around with teenagers - apart from you of course."
,,Wouldn't that mean that this was towards the end of the war."Tanith thought out load and then frowned ,,Was Mevolent dead already?"
,,Not 180 years ago, he died around 1925, well I think I can never quite remember."
,,OK so let's say it has to do with the war then we would be talking about... 1845 to 1925 as a possible time frame."
,,Nice, I think we deserve a cup of coffee."
,,And a croissant."added Aurora.
Valkyrie sighed ,,Honestly I can't even argue against that, the whole books bore me to death."
..........
Softly he let himself fall into the armchair.
Closed his eyes just for a second.
And the face came instantly to his mind.
Those dark brown eyes and that...
He opned his mind and sighed, stretching out his arm. Leaning forward he grapped the bottle on the table before him.
Scotch.
It had been a gift.
Something to soothe the edges after their argument. The argument that would be their last.
Softly he unscrewed the bottle, looking at the dark liquor sloshing around so peacfully.
Soon he would be just as peacful - even if only for a short time.
Then the doorbell rang.
Frowning he put the bottle back and closed it.
Slowly he got up - he hadn't been waiting for visitors.
While walking towards the door his hand started glowing - just in case.
Then he saw the hair.
,,Hello Fletcher."
,,Hey Dex, I thought I would come by."nervously Fletcher looked past his shoulder ,, I hope I'm not interrupting something."
,,No, you can come in."
Fletcher nodded and went past him, into the living room.
,,Damn Dexter that's some fine scotch you got."
Dexter smiled ,,Would you like to have some?"
,,Sure."
............
The cold was hurting his knees, but he continued to kneel.
After all it wasn't about bodily comfort, not at all.
,,Hey."
His eyes immeaditly snapped open ,,Pssssst"
,,Ah come on, no one is around who can be distrubed."
,,Oh there is!" he hissed ,,You are disturbing ME!"
She frowned ,,What were you doing anyway?"
,,Praying! Silently! You should try it."
,,On the cold floor."She looked doubtful ,,Why not on the nice banks? Weren't they explicitly built for that purpose?"
He glared at her ,,What would you know?"
,,A lot, I always pray comfortably in my room or on one of those cozy banks."
He sighed ,,Listen I don't want to argue. Could you please just let me pray in peace."
She seemed to consider it ,,Honestly, I don't think so."
,,No?"
,,No, I cam here to tell you that we've got a new location."
Finally he smiled ,,Why didn't you tell me that right from the beginning?"
,,It would have made live to easy Glorious."