Late Night Delivery

By Sofri-chan

Sofri-chan: OK, this is my first attempt at writing for this particular series. Post OD, it may not be LC compliant as I haven't finished LC. Read to find pairing.

Disclaimer: I don't own AF or any of the characters

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LATE NIGHT DELIVERY

It was nighttime on the outskirts of Haven City—but wasn't it always? Artemis Fowl had been in Haven several times before, but he would never get used to the constant darkness. Even the hi-tech "glow strip" lights that Foaly prided himself on didn't come close to daylight—it gave the fairy city the air of a dim laboratory, or a haunted ghost town.

Indeed, if "haunted" could describe any place above or belowground, it would be this, the Irish teenager thought. Howler's Peak Prison. The most high-security prison in the fairy world. Typically used for goblins—but now the home of one non-goblin prisoner.

One prisoner…that one…the reason I'm standing out here risking LEP capture, in the dark, alone, without a bodyguard. Nobody was allowed contact with the Howler's Peak prisoners unless given clearance by the Lower Elements Police. And Artemis doubted that this particular mission would have ever received the necessary clearance.

It had been a dangerous operation, inserting the loop into Foaly's security cameras. It was a basic trick—baby-play for a technical genius like the centaur. In fact, Artemis had little hope of his visit going undiscovered—but he had to.

Courage, Fowl, courage, he told himself, one long-fingered hand burrowing beneath his shirt to clutch the thin package nestled there. At least it's Butler attempting to thwart pony-boy's technology.

Butler was really the only one he could trust with the task. Holly would never approve, and although Mulch could have gotten him in faster, the dwarf was already a former felon with a gigantic file. He couldn't risk his friend's career like that.

Concentrate. Butler's fed the loop in by now, and hopefully unlocked the doors. You'll only have twenty minutes to get in and out. So hurry. Drawing a black cloak around his vampire-pale features, Artemis Fowl approached the prison doors.

Gently, he pushed at the thick metal. The door slid open soundlessly. Good work, Butler, good work, the Mud Boy thought as he entered the prison. Now that map you memorized. Where was the cell? X3, that should be down the left hallway…

Less than five minutes later, the boy stood outside cell X3, holding the key he'd swiped from a guard earlier. There was a slight click as the lock opened, and a watery shaft of light fell onto the face of the cell's single occupant.

"Good evening, madam," Artemis spoke in level tones. "You have a visitor."

A female figure barely three feet in height rose from the floor, her eyes instantly darting toward the voice. "Who's there?" she whispered, vocal cords cracking from disuse.

When her face came into the light, Artemis almost gasped. Opal Koboi had been in prison merely a few months, but already he could barely recognize the villainous pixie who'd nearly exposed the fairies' existence to the world above. She was thinner, her long hair was unbound and ragged, and her hands and shoulders were striped with rough bruises.

"Who's there?" she repeated, her voice cracking again. Instead of responding, Artemis loosed the cloak from his shoulders, revealing himself to his former enemy.

"Fowl." Opal ground the word between her teeth as though it were a bit of sour vole curry. "Come to gloat at the poor prisoner, have we?"

Again, Artemis did not speak. He simply removed the thin box from its hiding place, holding it out to the pixie.

Then he spoke. "No," he replied, the usually confidant tones almost hesitant. "I brought you something."

For a moment, Opal didn't react. Her brain—still sharp as always—was whirring. Could be a bomb, or some other explosive. But that would have never made it past security—that idiotic Council told that idiotic centaur to keep the prisoners alive at all costs.

On the other hand, this was her enemy, Fowl by name and by nature. She'd tried to kill him one—two—no, three times at the minimum. What reason didn't he have to want revenge on her?

Yet—no, stop acting like a child, Koboi! Think like the genius you are! He's your enemy!

Though you wish he wasn't……

Shut up! Opal growled at the two quibbling voices. Already she was diagnosed by behaviorists as a pathological liar, a narcissist, a megalomaniac, and in possession of an intense fear of eye contact. She didn't need to add schizophrenia to the list.

Reaching out a single quivering hand, Opal took the box from the Mud Boy's grasp. It was another moment until she opened it, to reveal…

….several brown balls delicately dusted with sprinkles or nuts.

Chocolate truffles. Her heaven on earth. The wondrous sweets that she couldn't live without—and hadn't tasted in months, as chocolate truffles were not on the standard prisoner menu.

Greedily, she grabbed the first truffle in the box and ate it whole. Delicious. Wonderful. Amazing. Spectacular…

"You like them?" The hesitant voice again.

Opal raised her head. For a moment, a small voice told her to thank the Mud Boy. He'd thwarted Foaly's security (not an easy task, even Opal admitted) just to come here and deliver her a box of chocolates.

You're an evil genius! You don't thank Mud Boys!

But you'd like to thank him…More than thank him, maybe…

Awkward silence stretched between them. Her chocolate brown eyes, the expression doubtful. His piercing blue eyes, the expression…fearful? Hopeful?

"Artemis…." Opal said softly, breaking the silence. He didn't respond, merely flicked his eyes toward hers, indicating he'd heard.

The silence continued for another moment, until words once again pierced the air…

"Artemis, stop looking me in the eye! It's absolutely horribly for my skin!"

With that, Opal Koboi turned from the open door and disappeared into the depths of her cell.

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