A Story :: Part Two

"Why oh why, do you have an escapee, limbs apart, everytime you come here? Do you know I have better things to do? Huh? I need my sleep. This poor, neglected old man needs some sleep. And yet that teeny tiny wish is ignored," Kenspeckle lectured.

"Why in the name of heavens do you tear your prey apart?" he continued. "I tend to get...crazy around blood," Valencia shrugged.

The unfortunate man was still unconscious, thanks to her powerful kick. She dragged herself out the room, closing the transparent door behind her. Valencia saw Clarabelle flitting from one room to another. The girl spotted Valencia and waved brightly.

"Hello, Val," she said in her usual dazed expression. "Oh, hey, I know another girl called Val!" she exclaimed. "Uhmm..." Valencia grunted, unsure what to say.

"Yeah! She doesn't look like you though. She's got jet black hair"- Clarabelle tugged Valencia's hair at this point -"and deep brownish eyes. Are you the still the same person?"
"Uhmm..Cla-"
"No. Val, she's fairer than you, Val. Ooh, both Vals in one sentence!" Clarabelle squealed before walking head-on towards the transparent door and bumped her head. Hard. Youch, Valencia winced.

Anthem appeared, running straight towards the door, and had the same fate as Clarabelle, only harder. Valencia roared with laughter and he elbowed her. But then he, too, laughed hard.

Valencia crossed her arms, looking dead-serious, when in fact she was biting her cheeks to refrain from laughing. Anthem stood up, finally managing to stop rolling on the floor.

"Why the serious face?" Anthem asked. "Spill it out," his twin said.
"Spill what out?"
"The teleporting-us-from-London-to-Kenspeckle-in-freaking-Dublin stuff!"
"Oh."
"Who'd you copy from?"
"The Ghost-Boy, Fletcher, of course. Who else," Anthem shrugged. "How did you possibly meet him, may I ask?" Valencia said sarcastically. "Well, I kind of met his girlfriend and her skeleton partner." Valencia stared at him in amazement.

"What!? You met her!?" she screamed. "You met THE Valkyrie Cain!? And Skulduggery-freaking-PLEASANT!?" Anthem smirked. "Yep."
"How the freaking hell!?"
"I met them in Philadelphia."
"How the freaking hell!?"
"Business trip. I was tracking a Texan. They were too, then."
"How did you get to Philadelphia?"
"Val, we live in Philadelphia."
"Oh."

And so their conversation goes on from Valencia's wailing to pointless topics such as the size of Anthem's ego (Valencia : "I mean, You could fill a whole Pluto innit!"). Then Kenspeckle emerged from the Infirmary just as they were punching each other's guts.

He coughed. "The man is awake. Now, make him go away," he said. "Sorry for the inconvenience, prof," Anthem said.

"At least you don't come has often as the bloody skeleton. So to speak. He's got no blood," Kenspeckle grumbled and hurried towards Clarabelle whose fingers were stuck in a gas tube.

Valencia nudged her twin and walked towards the Infirmary. A sinle person was sitting on a bed. He trembled as soon as he saw her.

"Oh, drop the act, Garret," Valencia sighed. "Garret? I told you, he was in New York," the man said. "Was. Now he's in Dublin," she countered.

"Ah. Bloody hell," the man smiled. He stopped shaking, and now he looked calm. "I didn't fool you then?" Valencia shook her head. "Quite the contrary actually. If it weren't for this you'd be off by now," she held up the piece of paper.

"Bloody wanted list," Garret mumbled. Anthem cleared his throat. "Now. Here goes; Garret Streams, by the power bestowed unto me by the Sanctuary Rule of Justice-"
"Me too," Valencia said matter-of-factly.
"-we are placing you under arrest for the murder of Sofia Remit, Odham Shinks, Tarney Bodom and Jane Fallahawk, 2 in Egypt and the others in London."

Anthem blinked. Garret stared. Valencia nodded in the slightest movement possible. "That's it, then," Anthem stated, "time to go visit the Grand Mage." He put his hands, one on Garret's shoulder and the other on Valencia's.

And they vanished.
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Long. But still.... Better than nothing. XPP