Murder Mansion: SP OC Arena of Righteousness

Chapter 11 Maze

Valkyrie strode through the maze, keeping an eye out for anyone and anything. It had been at least fifteen minutes since they had all been left out. Or maybe it was just her. She could smell fire, confirming that either others were in the maze as well or a fire animal is in here with her. She couldn't help it, she whistled. She stopped walking and focused on listening. Somewhere to her right she heard rustling, whilst somewhere to her left she heard someone whistle back. Decisions. Decisions. She decided to go after the whistling. Keeping left, she twisted around corners, keeping lightning ready for usage.

After another five minutes of walking in what felt like circles, she heard the whistle again. Somehow closer now but still to her left. She resumed her pursuit, wondering who it was. Maybe Faith thought she was whistling to Lucian? The next corner unveiled a clearing which was obviously not the finishing area. A bench sat in the centre facing away from her. Sat on said bench was a man dressed in a sharp three piece suit. She didn't bother to try and sneak up on him, she knew he knew she was there already.
"Oh Skulduggery thank God" she rushed over to him. He remained sat down, barely even inclining his head or uncrossing his leg. He just remained sat there. She waved a hand in front of him.
"Skulduggery?"
"I'm thinking, and it's rude to interrupt someone when they are thinking"
"Oookay. What are you thinking about?"
He held up a hand and didn't say a word. So she stood there and waited. She contemplated leaving him there, but she knew she couldn't. She even thought about taking him on, but found herself pausing. That part of her that didn't want her to kill him had grown. How annoying.

Eventually he stood up and looked around. Pausing for a brief moment at each of the three exits to the clearing. He pulled out his gun and checked the bullets. From what she could see it was fully loaded. He thumbed back the safety and aimed it right at her head.
She jumped back. "Woah! Skulduggery!"
He cocked his head. "Drop the charade. You're corrupted. Aren't you?"
She looked at him blankly. She couldn't be surprised that he had worked it out. He was renowned for a reason.
"How long have you known?"
"Since you shorted my mind and pushed me into a trap"
"Any chance I injured you?"
"Any injuries were to my pride I'm afraid. Now then, Valkyrie, I need you to fight this."
"Fighting it is boring. Fighting you however is not"
"I don't want to have to fight you, surrender and allow that innocent part of you to resurface"
"So I'm right to assume you know about that part. The small part that is screaming to avoid this fight. I'm used to it of course, all that Darquesse stuff. Speaking of, I've been so boring whilst I wallow in guilt haven't I?"
"You will come to terms with it in your own time. It's not something that is instantaneous."
"But it is now. Without all those guilty feelings I can get down to the centre of it. The source of it all. You see, at the end of the day I don't feel overwhelming guilty about it. The deaths a little yes, but my decision to stay in the path of magic instead of hiding away and leaving it all behind? Not so much. Now that I'm thinking more clearly I know that anyone in my position would have done the same. Hence they have no right to judge"
"Feeling remorse for ones choices keeps us human. Shutting off those emotion separates us from the people we care about. And that's not what you want."
"Are you sure? Because the baby hands everyone had been treating me with got boring quickly."
Skulduggery lowered the gun, holstering it and stepping forward. "I need you to fight this Valkyrie. I need you by my side. You're emotions are what make you you, you can't cast them aside."
"I haven't cast them aside Skulduggery. I've accepted them. I've been out of the action for too long and it's time I made my full return. I can admit that I really have missed this"
"Last chance. Come back to me. We can get everyone else together and escape this maze. Because it's you and I Valkyrie. Until the-"
"I'm going to stop you right there before you embarrass yourself. There is no we. I'm better than what I became. And more importantly I have a job to do, even though it's annoying to have to listen to Smoke. You see, I can break your non-existant heart right now. I killed Dexter Vex"
She saw him stiffen. She would have given anything to know what he was thinking of right now. Would he shoot her? Kill her? Or keep to the noble path?
"I'm sorry Valkyrie..."