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| Battle of Clearwater | |
 The Grotesquery | |
| Battle of Clearwater | |
| Name(s) | Battle of Clearwater |
| Date | 2008 |
| Book | Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire |
| Participants | The Irish Sanctuary The Grotesquery Baron Vengeous |
| Location | Clearwater Hospital |
| Next | The Trade at Liffey Bridge |
The Battle at Clearwater was between the Sanctuary and Baron Vengeous and the Grotesquery. The Sanctuary had planned to attack with two waves. The first consisted of Skulduggery Pleasant, Valkyrie Cain, Tanith Low and Mr. Bliss. The second wave was Cleavers. The plan was for the first wave to weaken the Grotesquery, and the Cleavers would finish it off. Later on, China Sorrows and the Torment join the battle. The battle took place at Clearwater Hospital.
The Battle[]
The First Wave[]
After Skulduggery and Bliss give a speech, both the waves head off to face the Grotesquery. On the way, they find Billy-Ray Sanguine talking to someone on his phone. While they were hiding, Sanguine reveals that he is only pretending to work with Vengeous, and he is actually working with someone else, unknown to Skulduggery and the others. After Sanguine hangs up, Skulduggery defeats him easily. The four climb a roof and continue towards the Grotesquery. They arrive, where Skulduggery tells Valkyrie that the Grotesquery knew they were already there.
Bliss walks up to the Grotesquery and punches it, but to no effect. The Grotesqury punches Bliss, and he crashes into a building. Skulduggery and Tanith go to attack the Grotesquery, but its right arm unravells which wraps around Skulduggery. He is swung towards Tanith, who dodges it. Skulduggery then breaks free, but the Grotesquery tries to punch him. Skulduggery draws in the air to block the punch and Tanith slashes at its arm, which heals instantly.
Valkyrie throws two fireballs at the Grotesquery. The first misses, but the second explodes against the Grotesquery's side. The Grotesquery's stinger fires and Tanith ducks and slashes it in the chest, but the Grotesquery smashes down on Tanith's arm. Her bone snaps and she is shoved away. The Grotesquery removes the sword, drops it and its wound is healed.
Bliss emerges from the building, but is hurt. Skulduggery reaches into his pocket, and pulls out two revolvers. He fires twelve bullets with unerring accuaracy. He drops the guns and runs forward. He takes out the spike bomb and stabs it in the place where he had been shooting. The Grotesquery flings him away, but the bomb explodes. A wound opens in its arms for a moment, enough to allow a drop of black blood to leak.
Tanith gathers her strength and springs, but the Grotesquery batters her away. Her body twists and hits the ground, and doesn't get back up. The Grotesquery is just about to slam its left arm at Tanith but Valkyrie uses the air to push Tanith away. Valkyrie then realises that she is the last person standing. She pleads for someone to signal the Cleavers. Suddenly, Mr. Bliss stands between her and the Grotesquery. Bliss presses both hands to its chest and started the push, but the Grotesquery carries on walking. Bliss starts to be pushed backwards, and then the Grotesquery falters. Bliss gives another heave and the Grotesquery is forced to take a step back. Tanith stands and Valkyrie uses the air to give her sword back. She slices the Grotesquery, and manages to hurt it. Bliss punched the Grotesquery and it sends it reeling. Bliss then orders the Cleavers to attack.
The Second Wave[]
The Cleavers start to attack the Grotesquery. It defeats three, but more takes their places. Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Bliss and Tanith watch as the Cleavers work together as a team to defeat the Grotesquery. The Grotesquery kills a Cleaver with acid, and tears apart another. A Cleaver sliced at the Grotesquery's tendon and another slices it accross its back. The Grotesuery stumbles onto one knee, and the Cleavers swarm it.
Suddenly, Baron Vengeous appears. He is wearing Lord Vile's armour with the shadows swirling angrily around him. The Cleavers get off the Grotesquery, who doesn't get up, and Vengeous drops China Sorrows to the ground with his shadows. Bliss punches Vengeous, but Vengeous blocks it with a barrier of shadows. The shadows then turn into a fist and punches Bliss, who is hurtled back. Skulduggery lifts his gun and fires, but the shadows block the bullets. Tanith orders the Cleavers to attack Vengeous. Vengeous holds out his arm and a wave of darkness erupted from him which hits Tanith and the Cleavers.
Vengeous then sends a streak of shadows which wraps around Skulduggery and Valkyrie, who both fall. Skulduggery to tries to surprise Vengeous, but shadows send Skulduggery falling again. Skulduggery snaps his hand out. The air ripples but Vengeous steps aside. A wave of blackness hits Skulduggery which take him of his feet. Valkyrie ducks under a return swipe and scoops up two pieces of rubble. She brings her hands together, and uses the air to push the rubble at Vengeous, but he uses the shadows to block them, and then uses them to slam into Valkyrie. The shadows then wrap around her and slams her into a wall. Valkyrie then offers to switch sides. Vengeous accepts this and tells her to kill Skulduggery. Valkyrie draws her hands into claws close to her body. The air shimmers and she twists to attack Vengeous, but he batters her arm away and grabs her by her throat. Valkyrie then tells Vengeous that she will launch an attack. Vengeous asks with what army, and she to behind him. Vengeous looks behind him and sees China step up behind him.
Help from Allies[]
China's whole body is covered in swirling black tattoos. Vengeous throws Valkyrie down and China dodges an attack. She taps two tattoos on her legs which turn green, and she becomes a blur, weaving her way past Vengeous' shadows. He tries to hit her, but she was too close. Some of her tattoos glow red, and she punches, sending Vengeous off his feet. He uses shadows to soften his fall. Chins claps her hand together, and yellow tattoos form a shield. Vengeous attacks the shield, but it doesn't break. The shadows around Skulduggery fade, and he grabs Valkyrie and the two run into the main hospital building. Valkyrie turns around to see the barrier fading and China falling to one knee. The two land and see what they were looking for.
Valkyrie crawls accross the rooftop, where she sees unconscious Cleavers and the Grotesquery still trying to heal itself. She then sees China and Vengeous talking. Vengeous then send a wave of darkness into China. Sanguine then emerges from the ground with Skulduggery clinging on. Skulduggery throws Sanguine and his gun away and grabs Vengeous into a chokehold. Valkyrie lands from the roof and uses the air to attack the Grotesquery. Skulduggery manages to take off Vengeous' chest-plate. Vengeous tries to hit Skulduggery with shadows but the shadows are too weak. Skulduggery attacks Vengeous and his knees buckle.
Valkyrie sees Sanguine and turns around just as he slams into her. Valkyrie then punches Sanguine's knee, rolls and gets up, but he graps her again, hands on her throat. She punches Sanguine in the gut and jaw, but Sanguine shakes it off and tightens his fingers. She then punches him on the nose and wrenches his fingers, which makes Sanguine let go off Valkyrie. She boots him in the groin and he falls.
Vengeous has Skulduggery in a painful lock. Skulduggery wriggles out of it and starts punching Vengeous. Sanguine tries to get up, but Valkyrie threatens to kill him if he moves. Vengeous defeats Skulduggery, and Valkyrie says she will kill Sanguine if he kills Skulduggery. Vengeous distracts Valkyrie and Sanguine attacks her. He is just about to kill her, however he then changes his mind and sinks through the ground. Skulduggery then says it is time for his next trick, and Valkrie throws a fireball at Vengeous' chest. Vengeous uses the shadows to douse the flames. While he's distracted Skulduggery shoots him.
Valkyrie vs the Grotesquery[]
Vengeous crawls to the Grotesquery, where he apoligses for failing. The Grotesquery then snaps his head and struggles to its feet. Skulduggery then tells Valkyrie to throw a fireball at the air. She does it. Then she picks up Tanith's sword and realises that everyone besides her had fallen. The Torment then appears behind her and Valkyrie realises that the fireball was used as a last resort. The Torment turns into a spider and attacks the Grotesquery. However, the Grotesquery proves too powerful and defeats the Torment and flings him aside. It then turns to Valkyrie.
Valkyrie lunges at it with Tanith's sword. She ducks its hand and attacks the Grotesquery's side. She sees the Grotesquery trying to heal itself unsuccessfully. The Grotesquery then unravles its right arm and a strip wraps around her ankle. She attacks the arm with the sword so that when it forms its middle finger is missing. Valkyrie uses the sword to attack the Grotesquerys ribcage. It screams and darkness pours from the Grotesquery's injuries and slides into Valkyrie, who falls. When Valkyrie is no longer in pain, she finds the Grotesquery on the ground, defeated.
Skulduggery checks Valkyrie, and Sanguine appears again. He tells them that the battle has only begun, and goes away again.