There was no time to call home alone, so Valkyrie dialled her own phone from The Bentley.

'Hello?' The reflection said, she could hear Alice babbling in the background, she could only imagine her younger sister on the hip of her double, the more available one of them both.

'Hey, it's me.' Valkyrie replied, calm and collected. She'd had much practice at 'end-of-the-world' check-ins with the reflection, with feeling like an unavailable older sister.

'Hello.' It said in acknowledgement.

'Skulduggery and I are heading off to a potential scene if something happens…' Valkyrie trailed off, hyper-aware of Skulduggery beside her in the car.

'I take over your life, love our parents, protect your sister.' It replied Valkyrie didn't miss the use of 'our' in its sentence. She didn't say anything about it, not wanting Skulduggery to find out yet, instead, she stayed quiet for a moment.

'I'll call you if we survive.' Valkyrie said instead.

'I'll be waiting.' It said before Valkyrie hung up, sliding her phone into her pants.

'Everything good?' Skulduggery said, picking up the subtle tone-shift in Valkyrie's voice.

'Everything's grand.' She replied, not offering an explanation, ending the already short conversation.

'Should we have informed the Ghastly and the others we were doing this?' She spoke up after a few quiet seconds.

'Since when have we ever followed the rules?' Skulduggery questioned back, a hint of amusement in his voice at her sincerity.

'Just wondering.' Valkyrie let her eyes trail out of the window in the passenger seat, staring at the flashes of street passing by.

'If we're going to save the world from mortal peril, I'd like to take all the credit.'

'Hey, not all of it.'

'You can have a little bit, just a sliver.'

'50-50'

'70-30'

'Non-negotiable.' She crossed her arms over her chest in fake protest.

Skulduggery grunted but didn't add anything more, focusing his attention on the road, the skies darkening, streetlights brightening. He rolled the car to a soft stop a few blocks away from the cemetery. They both got out of the car, Skulduggery locked it behind them as they walked off in the direction of the graveyard they were looking for.

'I'll take your silence as a surrender.' She huffed out a laugh, following closely behind him as he navigated.

'I never surrender, now hush. Look over there.' He raised a gloved hand to gesture over to the entrance of the cemetery.

A grey fog seeped out of the tall black gates, the moonlight that peeked from the clouds above shone down directly on the metal. Valkyrie thought of all the cliché' vampire movies she'd seen and shuddered. They crept past the gates, deeper into the mist until it felt like they were wading through water with how thick it had become. Skulduggery held up a hand and Valkyrie paused.

'Do you feel that?' He asked over his shoulder.

'Creeped out? Yeah, Skulduggery, we're in a cemetery, there are literal dead people beneath our shoes.'

'There's a dead person standing in front of you, speaking to you at this moment.'

'You're different. You're you.'

'I'm flattered.'

'I'm glad you could take flattery from that.' Valkyrie smugly retorted.

He ignored her comment and pressed on, 'No, not the feeling I was going for.'

'What was the feeling you were going for?'

'Like, magic?'

'A disturbance in the force?'

'You're hilarious.'

'I am, aren't I.'

'Ok, Valkyrie focus.'

'You're the one who was distracted, Obi-Wan.' Valkyrie laughed quietly at her own joke, following behind Skulduggery, eyes trailing over every inch of the graveyard. It was quiet and the fog made it hard to see a few meters past her own nose.

'Are you finding it hard to see?' She asked but got no response as the fog swallowed up more of her vision.

'Skulduggery?' Great, he was gone. If she was going to have to babysit a runaway child, she would've at least liked to be running after an actual toddler.

Valkyrie walked with her arms outstretched before her, she scanned the area for air disturbances and walked around with a general mind map of her surroundings. She walked forward, in the direction Skulduggery was going until she heard general sounds of a fistfight.

'Skulduggery?' She yelled, assuming their stealth had been blown. 'If you're fighting a bad guy and I'm not involved I'm going to be really mad.'

'-cator!' Came Skulduggery's voice from beyond her vision, something bounced off her face and before she could catch it, it fell on the ground.

'What?' She shouted, confused. 'Did you just throw something at me?'

Valkyrie crouched down and trailed her fingers through the blades of grass, her fingers catching on something metal, she felt around the shape of it. Keys.

'Get the Scarificator!' Came his voice again, this time closer.

'You want me to drive? The Bentley?'

'Just go!' He shouted, Valkyrie couldn't help but pick up on the struggle Skulduggery's voice was indicating and she ran, knowing the qualities the artefact had. It could help, especially against the locket.

She ran straight out of the gates, back through the streets until she came up to the gleaming car. Valkyrie was glad she had pressured Skulduggery into fitting the Bentley with automatic locks as she clicked the button, she got into the passenger's seat, cursed at herself, then got out to run around to the other side, sliding into the driver's seat and turning the key in the ignition. The car purred to life, effortlessly as always, she gave herself a second to figure out how to actually drive the Bentley. Skulduggery had never taught her, a fact she was going to use to her advantage if they survived this, she thought as she backed out of the parking space, silently praying there'd be less traffic on the road.

Skulduggery was currently fighting off a supercharged madman, he dodged as Asustado sent out a powerful mimic of his elemental attack, a wave of air hit him square in the chest and he was sent flying. He rolled when he landed, giving himself enough momentum to get himself upright to dodge again as a fireball flew past his face. His opponent was old and frail but the magic in the locket gave him a significant power boost, making up for his lack of speed or stamina. Another ball of fire flew at him, but this time he caught it with his chest.

'My suit.' He whined, rolling to extinguish it as another wall of air slammed at him. He prayed Valkyrie was having more luck than he was. And that his car would still be intact afterwards.

Valkyrie let out a scream as she swerved, narrowly avoiding something on the road, her movements were jerky as she gear shifted down a gear, switching a lane. She was relying purely on instinct, which, surprisingly, paid off as she spotted the Sanctuary building guise up ahead.

'I am the best.' She sighed, parking in an empty lot locking the car behind her, running into the building.

'The thing, I need the thing.' She huffed out at Tipstaff.

He looked at her, confusion painted over his face,

'C'mon Tippy, the thing. The…' Valkyrie trailed off, mentally kicking herself. 'The Scarificator!'

'Grand Mage Ghastly is the one who has it.'

'Quick, where is he.'

Tipstaff looked down at his clipboard, flipping a few pages over before informing her that he was in another meeting.

'What room.'

'I'm afraid I can't te-'

Tipstaff yelped as Valkyrie grabbed him by the collar, pulling him towards her.

'Which. Room.' She asked again.

'Conference room A102.'

She didn't look back, leaving Tipstaff in her wake as she ran off to the conference room, not slowing for the closed door, body slamming it open.

'Valkyrie!' Ghastly yelled.

'I need the Scarificator.' She huffed out, frantic.

'Wha-. Why?'

'No time, where is it?'

'You found him didn't you.'

'No time, Skulduggery's in a pinch.'

'It's in my office, second drawer, it's unlocked. Go.' He ordered and she took off running again, snatching the artefact from the drawer and sprinting out again, practically vaulting into the car and speeding off, all previous wariness gone – adrenaline running through her body.

Skulduggery had lost an arm and he wasn't happy about it. His suit was burnt and torn in a few places, his ego was bruised, and he'd lost his hat. He was losing this fight, just keeping Asustado's attention long enough for Valkyrie to come back with the Scarificator, keeping him occupied long enough for Skulduggery to figure out a way for them to use it. His opponent hit him with another fireball and another part of his suit caught fire. Just when Skulduggery thought he was tiring him out, the locket filtered through more magic and Asustado was able to throw out another blow.

Valkyrie ran back through the fog, her mind map guiding her, she sprinted in the direction of Skulduggery's shouts and Asustado's grunts. She felt the Scarificator in her hand and thought her best bet would to rush at him and slice his arm or any other part of him, to catch him off guard. Her fingers caught on the latch, the blades slid out and Valkyrie was careful not to slice her own skin as she rushed forward.

'Ow!' Skulduggery reacted to the sudden collision as Valkyrie ran into him. 'Wrong person, wrong person!' He spun her around with his arm and gave a gentle push in the direction Asustado was.

'There, there, go!' He yelled out as she sprinted forward, colliding with the right target, falling on top of him and slamming the Scarificator down, blades catching skin. Asustado screamed with the impact and thrashed when he felt the magic being sucked out of him. He let go of the locket and it uncoiled from his hand with the fall, it bounced off the dirt and Valkyrie pushed at the air in its general direction to move it away from them. She could feel the amount of magic pouring out of Asustado's skin, like an afternoon breeze, barely there. Her vision was starting to clear as the fog was sucked out with the magic, filtering through the artefact and dispersing out in the air, the fog parted as the moonlight streamed down and the locket gleamed.

'Well, that can't be good for the environment.' She heard Skulduggery mutter behind her as Asustado screamed, another bout of magic pouring out.

'No, I don't think so.' She said, looking up towards the sky, the night becoming clear as Asustado's magic was taken from him until it was all gone, and he was just a regular old man.

'Is it over?' Valkyrie asked.

'It's over,' Skulduggery replied.

'That was rather anti-climactic.'

'For you.'

She let go of the Scarificator, Asustado moaned a little as it fell from his skin but didn't attempt to get up, weakened from the lack of magic.

'All that planning,' He muttered. 'For nothing.'

Valkyrie looked back at Skulduggery, getting to her feet.

'Your arms missing.' She stated, looking at his worn clothes.

'That it is.' He agreed.

'You got in a fight without me.'

'There'll be other fights.' He shrugged.

'There'll be other arms.' She quipped, arms crossing over her chest.

'I swear to everything that is ungodly, you'd better find my arm.'

Valkyrie laughed and knelt back down to cuff Asustado who had, conveniently, passed out.

'Can you call for backup?' Valkyrie asked. 'I'm not dragging this back to the Bentley.' She punctuated her sentence with a gentle nudge of her boot against Asustado.

'You're stronger than that.'

She glared at him and he fished for his phone.

'Find my arm.'

Valkyrie laughed, picking up the locket, feeling no magic reside in it and stalked off to find his arm.

'Congratulations on saving the world,' Elder Erskine said, clapping Valkyrie on the back. 'Again.'

'It's basically in the job description at this point.' She smirked at him and he laughed, she followed him into the Elder's chambers where Elder Mist and Grand Mage Ghastly were already sitting, Skulduggery standing in front of them. Erskine took his chair beside Ghastly, Valkyrie stood beside Skulduggery, his arm newly attached, his suit fresh, hat placed expertly on his head.

'You're looking dapper.' She whispered to Skulduggery while they waited for the Elders to address them, the affair was very formal given the circumstances.

'As always.' He whispered back.

'You from an hour ago begs to differ.' Valkyrie snorted and the Elders looked at her, she raised her arms in apology.

'Well,' Ghastly addressed. 'I guess the world is safe for another day.'

'Our doors, however, is another story.' Elder Mist said, an heir of calm exuded from her. As if the averted crisis was nothing more than cold eggs for breakfast.

'Um, sorry?' Valkyrie offered.

'Nevertheless,' Elder Erskine interjected. 'Your work was exceptional; did we find out his motive?'

Valkyrie let Skulduggery explain the brutal murder and abuse of Clair Fenburn while she excused herself from the de-briefing, dialling her own phone.

'Hello.' It greeted.

'I'm alive.' Valkyrie stated.

'I expected nothing less.' The reflection replied. 'Alice is sleeping, and your parents are still out.'

'Right. Well, I'll be home soon.'

'I'll be waiting.'

Valkyrie hung up, feeling better now that the reflection knew she was still alive, that her life wasn't for the taking, Skulduggery walked out a few minutes later.

'Everything okay?' He asked.

'Yup. We are done here?'

'We've been dismissed, yes.'

'Great. And what of the Scarificator? And the locket?'

'The locket goes to China, as promised.' Valkyrie glowered at the mention of China's name, Skulduggery ignored it, choosing to ignore anything to do with her. 'Ghastly took the Scarificator back, it could come in handy.'

'It could, it's powerful. It would have to be if Kenspeckle invented it.' She agreed.

'Home?' He asked, opening the Sanctuary door for her, the night air prickling her skin.

'Home.' She affirmed, smiling up at him, holding out a fist, he bumped it with his own, case over.

And that's it. My adventure has come to a close!

I'm very sorry if the last two chapters seemed rushed or OOC, my only excuse is that they were rushed. I've been busy and wanted to end the story before I forgot where I was taking it.

Thank you for reading and take care! :)