It was silent in the park. After a minute or two of waiting for Vladmir and Lune to show up once again, Iris moved to where Norm's body lay, BJ and Leah standing right behind her. The sky became steadily darker as a few small drops of rain began to fall.
Jack turned back to Sally and gripped her in a tight hug, lifted her off her feet. "I missed you," he whispered in her ear. "As did I." He placed her back on her feet and kissed her tenderly. When they finally parted, Jack looked down at her attire. "What are you wearing?" "Something I made after you left," she answered simply. "But you can see everything," he indicated to her breasts, than at her waist, then to her legs. "You like what you see?" "Of course, but your walking around all exposed and it's just..."
Valkyrie stood at Skulduggery's side. "Missed you," Valkyrie grumbled looking away from him. She felt Skulduggery smile. "I could have lived without you for a while longer," he informed. She shot him a look, "You need me." "I've lived over four hundred years without you. I could have fairly got on." "In hell?" "Well..." he thought for a moment, "Yeah, I would have still got on." Valkyrie smiled. They stood there for a moment. "Well?" said Skulduggery. Valkyrie gave him a hug, "Oh, shut it."
Spiderella took a deep breath and pulled her hair back, her face of normality once again. A smile grew upon her face as she neared, her eyes a glowing bright green, "Skulduggery Pleasant and Jack Skellington, I'm Spiderella," she introduced. Jack shook her hand, "Thank you for helping us." "No problem at all." Skulduggery moved himself next to Iris, who was running her fingers over Norm's body.
"Is he..." "Dead," Iris finished for him. "Because Lune departed." "Yes." Skulduggery made to respond but it was cut short by a ring of thunder that echoed in the sky. "Crackers, thought it would be a clear night," pouted Spiderella.
Skulduggery looked up at the brewing sky. Jack commented, "We might be magnets to danger after all." Skulduggery sighed, "I get that a lot." The clouds above began to twist and turn, flipping upon itself, rotating around a center point a couple miles from them. Jack put his hands on his hips. "That almost looks familiar."
Skulduggery took a step back, "Because it is." Valkyries eyes widened in comprehension, "The Faceless Ones." "How can that be possible?" Skulduggery questioned, "I didn't die and go to hell for nothing." "Did we leave it open?" Jack asked. "It couldn't have been. I saw it close," Valkyrie offered. "Well your not supposed to
look at a Faceless One in the first place," Skulduggery put a hand to his skull, "I must have missed one." "Well that's just perfect," Jack crossed his arms. "Well," Skulduggery sighed, "We can't just let evil run amuck in the world." He adjusted his tie.
Sally suddenly put herself in front of the two of them, her arms outward and a face of pure anger. "No," she said sternly, "I will not let you two put yourselves in danger again with those things." Jack and Skulduggery looked to each other. "Sally," Skulduggery began, "Those
things are going to kill everyone and destroy the planet. It would be bad to let them do that." "But I don't want you to get killed again," she choked. Jack put his hands on her shoulders, "I will not leave you again."
There were tears in her eyes as she shook her head, "No you won't. We will go back to Halloween Town where we belong." "And leave the world behind?" Jack persisted, "No I can't do that." Sally backed herself away from him, "Then all my work was for nothing." She began to back step away further. "Sally," Jack yearned, but she ignored him. She kept walking away from him with her back turned.
The Capital Building...
Heartless's hair whipped violently around her head as she stood below the portal. Thunder filled her ears and the buildings ceiling ripped off in way for the Faceless Ones. With the sky visable, she noticed how dark it had became. She felt her feet leave the floor and heard the voices once more,
"Impossible. She is one of us." The Faceless man looked to her, "She cannot."
"But I can," Heartless said absentmindedly, "Your DNA has become mine."
"A useful tool." Heartless could see the beings begin to climb out of the vortex, a static of energy releasing. She heard the screaming coming from the outside. She could help but to smile.
The Faceless One next to her turned his head sharply towards the entrance of the Capital building and then a loud sound came from the back. Not that the portal was open, she landed back on her feet. Snapping her head to the entrance, she was taken off her feet, flying backwards crashing into the receptionists desk.
"Nice," Skulduggery commented. Jack moved his hand to gather his soul robber. "Let's not die okay?" Jack said, staring at the Faceless One in lifeless vessel. He raised his head to see the others. "I agree," Skulduggery prepared. Nodding to each other, they split in different directions.
Skulduggery moved his fingers upward slightly and Leah and BJ emerged. BJ raised her hands, sprinting at full speed, the air began to shift. Leah dived and grabbed the Faceless vessels cape, dragging it to the ground. Skulduggery began shooting from a distance.
Heartless lifted her head, her soul full of anger.
"You will all die!" she yelled in a thousand voices. She ran towards Leah and sprinted right through her. Leah fell limp at her heels. "Leah!" BJ screamed. Heartless turned her head to see the new target.
Sprinting with all her strength, her target turned to her. They tried to move but she got there first. She smiled as Skulduggery put a hand to his chest.
A New Day...
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Almost seems typical, anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Next coming soon
