Sally and Jack emerged from the tombstone to see the Bentley skid to a stop near the cemetary gate. Jack was dressed in his previous disquise and wrapped Sally now wore a pair of black pants with a purple blouse and black jacket. She wrapped a scraf around her face and used her hair to cover the rest. Valkyrie rolled down the window. "Get in." she said. Sally joined her in the backseat while Jack sat in the front. Once the door was closed, Skulduggery slammed on the pedal.
"Where are we going?" Jack asked. "It was originally the Santuary but Bliss just called and told me that the bad guy just got away with the most powerful thing on earth." They drove over a pothole. "So where we going?" "To Aranmore Farm." "Can I have an overview please?" "A man named Batu has stolen a creature, or half of one, called the Grotesquery to open the gate for the Faceless Ones using the one known as Fletcher Renn."
"So me and Sally are defense with who else?" Skulduggery ran through a red light. "Myself, Valkyrie, Bliss, China, Ghastly, and Tanith." he paused, "I think..." "Great." Jack breathed, "So what are we talking about? A big monster?" Skulduggery swirved around a corner. "More like Gods. Evil ones." "There's more than one?" "Well we're hoping not." "Crap."
Aranmore Farm...
Skulduggery turned out onto a dirt road leading up to a farm house. He was talking on his phone to a woman named China about their current position. He held it a bit away from him to yell to Valkyrie to pass him a black case. Jack removed his goggles and was about to remove his gloves when the car was knocked into a roll.
Valkyrie and Sally were rolling around in the back gripping each other. When the Bentley finally stopped turning, it began to flood. Jack heard Skulduggery curse right next to him. Valkyrie tried getting the door open but it was jammed. "Damn bastards! Your paying for the damage of my car!" Skulduggery yelled before breaking the front window. Jack grabbed Sally and Valkyrie's hands and helped them through. The detective grabbed the black case and through it to the other side of the creek. He pushed the air for Jack and Sally. Skulduggery and Valkyrie followed.
"This is just not my day." Skulduggery lifted the water off of everybody's clothes. Jack starting making his way up the hill they rolled down on. At the top, he could see the farm house and a group of people beyond it. Skulduggery loaded his guns. "That them?" Jack asked, watching a man draw a circle on the ground. "No
they aren't here yet. Those fellows are the ones putting the cherry on top. Not to mention the owe me a couple hundred dollars for my car. Clever trap." He clicked the gun, "We need to hurry."
Once Valkyrie and Sally joined them, they started walking to the little group. Jack could see someone hiding in the shadows of the farm house. Jack called this to Skulduggery's attention and they joined the shadowy figure. "Bliss." Skulduggery greeted. "Pleasant." replied a bald man with peircing blue eyes. "Where's everyone else?" Jack asked. "Hiding and you are?" "Jack Skellington." he held out his hand, "King of Halloween Town." "Halloween Town?" Bliss shook his hand, "I could have sworn I've been everywhere in the world. I"m Bliss, most powerful man on earth." Skulduggery laughed, "And here I thought you didn't like to brag." Bliss turned to him.
"China has a group of cleavers over there." he pointed, "And Tanith anf Ghastly are positioned there." He pointed in a different direction. "Great!" Skulduggery said enthusiasticly, "Now let's see what the bad guys are doing." Jack peered around the corner as Skulduggery did.
A man was holding the neck of a blond teenage boy over what seemed like a multicolored rock. Skulduggery pulled his head back and faced Jack. "Ok, Jack, I need you to retrieve the boy. I'll go after Batu, the man holding Fletcher." "Right." he answered. "Bliss, you and China take out the body guards. Valkyrie grab the scepter. Sally, join Tanith and Ghastly when they appear." She nodded. "Ok," Skulduggery pulled out his gun, "On my mark." Jack pulled up his sleeve and summoned his soul robber. "One... two... " A vortex began to form above the boy and the man. "Three!"
Skulduggery fired four shots at Batu. He let go of Fletcher and he collasped, weak. Jack grabbed Fletcher by the arm but Batu swung a punch at him. Jack stumbled back. Skulduggery swung at Batu's face quickly followed by another in the stomach. Batu grabbed Skulduggery's skull abd bashed it to the ground. Jack gathered back to his feet, and swung his soul robber, catching Batu's ankle. He pulled and Batu tripped into the dirt.
Jack heard a howling noise from above him. The vortex wasn slowly closing but something was coming out. "Don't look at it!" he heard Skulduggery yell to Sally and valkyrie. Jack couldn't help but to look.
A head began to appear coming out of the black hole swirling above him, transparent with no facial details. It moved slowly, pushing itself through, making the vortex form a golden ring around it. "Shit!" Skulduggery grabbed Jacks arm, pulling him to move. Jack turned his head back. The Faceless One had two arms out and it let out a peircing scream. The scream gave off a wave of energy, knocking him and Skulduggery to the ground. He heard Batu laughing. Laughing in triumph.
Jack was up again, backing away towards the farm house. One was out and another one followed. Jack turned his head to see Skulduggery gathering Valkyrie's body into his arms. Sally! Where was Sally? He looked around frantically. Finally he spotted her fighting one of Batu's men. Jack ran to her. She faltered a bit when she glanced Jack's way. "Don't look at it!" he yelled. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the farm house.
When they entered, Skulduggery, Valkyrie and Bliss were already there. "Valkyrie look at me. Stay with me." Skulduggery was saying holding valkyrie's shoulders, "I
need you here." Valkyrie sorta shook her head before saying, "I'm fine." "Are you ok?" Jack asked Sally. "Just a little dizzy but I'll be fine." He smiled. "How many are there?" Skulduggery asked Bliss. "I can't tell." The window shattered from another high frequency scream.
"Valkyrie I want you to stay here and use the scepter as last resort." said Skulduggery. "But I.." she began. "No," Jack interrupted, "Skulduggery's right." Sally looked up at Jack. "No..." she breathed. "Sally I have to." "No you don't." He grasped her waist gently and pulled her to him. "Don't worry. I'm going to be ok." He gave her a tender kiss before following Mr. Bliss and Skulduggery out of the farm house.
"We need to help them!" Sally said turning to Valkyrie. "I agree. Skulduggery knows how much I hate sitting on the sidelines." She tapped the scepter on the ground. "Alright let's go."
Jack and Skulduggery moved cautiously around the mass of white cleavers that had just joined them. Skulduggery put his hand up for them to stop. The Faceless one towred over nearby trees, making them look like shrubs. "God..." Jack whispered. It screamed again causing the ground to shake. They fell once more. The Faceless One looked down at one of Batu's men and dissolved into almost transparent mist, seeping into the man. He yelled as his face began to melt off. It now had a faceless vessel.
The Faceless One caught sight of Bliss on the far end of the field. It sprinted towards Bliss with amazing speed. Jack heard Valkyrie yell to Bliss just as the Faceless One held out it's hand. Bliss was lifted ans suspended in midair. A second he was there, the next he was gone. Blood littered the ground.
Jack head a growl as Skulduggery gathered to his feet. Then Fletcher was there. "I'll keep the dorrway open! Distract the Faceless Ones!" and he ran to the Grotesquery. Skulduggery turned to Jack, "He's opening the portal again. You get that Faceless One and I'll get that one. I think there's only two." They split up.
A few minutes later...
"Run, run, run, run, ..!" Jack repeated to himself as he sprinted for his life to the swirling opening. Sally was standing next to the front door of the farm house. She turned and saw Skulduggery and Jack sprint right past her. Thunder boomed in the sky. Sally panicked. Oh no...not my vision, no! She followed after them. Skulduggery and Jack stopped. Don't stop! she screamed in her head. They both stood in front of Fletcher. The Faceless Ones were coming up to them but before they could put thier hands on the skeletons they were sucked into the hole above them with such force.
Valkyrie now stood right next to her. "We did it!" she yelled to the skeletons. The portal was closing. "That girl never does what she's bloody told." Skulduggery said back to her and she smiled. Sally sighed but then she saw a black tentacle emerge followed by more. Sally yelled out. A tentacle wrapped around Skulduggery and Jacks ankles. "Skulduggery!" Valkyrie screamed. They clutched the ground as they were quickly dragged back. She and Valkyrie were running to them as fast as they could. Valkyrie screamed Skulduggery's name again. He looked up and reached out his hand to her but it was too late. Skulduggery dissappeared. Jack turned his head to Sally and mouthed the words,
I love you before dissapearing as Skulduggery did. The vortex closed leaving the field quiet and peaceful.
------------------------
More to Come.
heh heh heh
