It was somewhat chilling, how sanguine Skul was about losing parts of his body, but after a moment Gabriel realised it wasn't all that different to his shape-cloaks, in a way. He wore them as he needed, but they weren't the true him. At least, not until he'd depended upon one far too much. Skul was technically dead, and bones the medium through which he interacted with the world.

Put like that, it was a little bit easier to accept, and Gabe even managed to grin at the detective's priorities. "Of course. You wouldn't want to lose a hat like that." The grin fell and the Archangel winced at the obvious pain of reattaching that bone. Automatically he stepped forward, hands raised. "Here, let me help."

Then he checked himself. Skul needed his arm, but better he replace his arm later, when they were safe, than waste time now. Except that Gabriel hadn't thought past this point--this point of actually finding Skul. How were they going to escape? The Archangel glanced nervously toward the end of the alley. The relief of finding Skulduggery had eased the gratingness of the Faceless Ones' whispers, the near-overwhelmingness of their mere presence, but they were still there, nearly painful if he let himself acknowledge them.

The first thing they needed, he thought, was a door. He'd used a black hole because it had been the most appropriate thing he could think of with his lack of knowledge. Maybe he wouldn't need anything like that this time, now he knew what to expect. "Skul," he said--whispered--turning his attention back to the detective. "I hate to rush you, but you should probably wait to do that. Where did the portal bringing you here from your universe come out? I might be able to take you back without it, but it would be a good deal easier if I could use a place the walls of this universe have already been breached."

And at least that portal would be headed in the right direction.