A Battle of Great Minds

By Ambersage Champlin

Intro:

Hannibal Lector has arrived in Ireland after escaping yet another scrap with the police. Artemis Fowl the second has been watching Hannibal as he strolls around Ireland, soon after the psychologists arrival Irish folks start to disappear. Artemis feels that Hannibal Lector has something to do with it, but not yet what. As Artemis watches the genus criminal cannibal Artemis is also being watched by not only the cannibal himself but also by Clarisse who must stop Lector once and for all.

Chapter one: Missing and found again

Artemis Fowl the second sat in his parlor across from his loyal bodyguard Butler. He was reading a peculiar article from America about a certain Hannibal Lector who would eat his victims. The article explained that Hannibal was now in some other country and that special agent Clarisse Starling was the last to see him.

In a small quaint little Irish café sat a former psychologist and currant criminal, Hannibal "the cannibal" Lector. He opened up an American Newspaper that he was featured in. Hannibal was no mere sloppy cannibal oh no, he was a doctor. So to keep away from the cameras by wearing a floppy hat was genus. Hannibal saw the picture of his favorite special agent, Clarisse Starling. It had only been a few hours before he had taken off to Ireland away after he had escaped being caught yet again. To his surprise though his once severed and now reattached hand was feeling mighty better.

"Butler," Artemis spoke after a long bout of pregnant silence. "Did you see that there are two people missing, and they have both clearly been picked for a particular reason?" Butler grunted clearly annoyed a bit by his charges fascination with the missing people.

"What about it Artemis, just missing people. Nothing the police can't handle." Butler sighed knowing he had not heard the last of this by his young master. "Anyway why are you so fascinated?"

"Well it is just that we have never had two missing people here at the same time." Artemis seemed to contemplate something for a while. "Remember that man we had met down town in Dublin. He said he had just moved here from America?" Butler rolled his eyes knowing that Artemis would go to the ends of the earth to figure this predicament out.

~Flashback~

Hannibal had his hand wrapped up so nicely so that it would not fester and would attach itself to him yet again. He sat in an outdoor dinner filled with the scents of flowers and coffee. He had sat down at a table with a chess board on it. Hannibal enjoyed chess, even when he played people who couldn't even tell a pawn from a rook. The thought made him laugh.

"Would you like to play a round?" Hannibal looked up to see a boy about eighteen standing in front of him balancing the white king on his index finger.

"Why not, take a seat boy." Lecter could see this was no mere boy, he was a genus. "White or Black?"

"Oh, I shall be White if it is not what you would've chosen." The boy was smart beyond his years, thought Lecter. "May I ask, I have not seen you around Ireland before? Who are you and where are you from?" the boy was also observant, Hannibal thought he saw a bit of himself in the young Irish boy. "And what happened to your hand?" maybe he was too observant.

"Well, why don't we talk before we start our match? You may ask me questions as long as I may ask you some in return." The boy nodded and gave the cannibal a vampiric smile. "Now to answer your questions, I am William Burns. I came here from America, and I accidentally gave myself a deep laceration on my palm and heel of my hand." It was a total lie, the boy knew all the signs of a liar. Well his name was no William Burns, although he was from America, but that is not what happened to his hand. "Now boy, what is your name, and I presume you are from these parts."

"Yes, well Mr. Burns I am Artemis Fowl II. Also yes your presumption is correct." Artemis looked to his left a ways down was Butler waiting incase his young charge needs his help. "What brings you to Ireland Mr. Burns, and may I ask what your profession is?"

"Well young Artemis," he rolled the young Irish boys name off his tongue making Artemis shudder internally. "I came here for the…unique cuisine." The way he said it made Artemis' neck hair stand on end with alert. Artemis saw Butler straighten out of the corner of his eye. "And my profession is a psychologist."

"Not something I would've guessed doctor." The Irish youth was trying to get on this newcomers good side so he could destroy him from the inside out. Hannibal was trying to do the same thing, but he had other intentions in mind for the young Fowl.

"So, how old are you Artemis?" Artemis checked his pulse, steady, okay if this joker was going to try anything to see if he was lying it would fail. "Also I noticed you haven't looked at a single female here, I must presume you have a girlfriend." This guy was intelligent, Artemis realized he was not dealing with a mere tourist.

"I am eighteen doctor, and yes I have a girlfriend, her name is Holly." He spoke the truth for whatever reason. After that bout of questions they got to the match.

Neither could win, neither could lose. They were matched opponents. When the afternoon sun started to make its decent Butler instructed his charge to leave. With no clear winner to the match Artemis knew that this was not the last time he would see Dr. William Burns.

~Flashback over~

"I will not deny Artemis that guy was a little strange, but that is no reason to accuse him of kidnap and or murder." Artemis had lost his concentration because on the television screen the News was talking about the two missing people missing being found with their internal organs, heart, and brain missing. Artemis knew it could only be this cannibal he read about in the papers, he was now in Ireland, his home.