This is my first Artemis Fowl story. I do not own the characters.
Please tell me what you think of it. It looks to turn into a long story, so be prepared.
And thanks to my amazing beta reader Lexical Item.
This is based after book 6, the Time Paradox, just so you know. Not book 7.
^_^ Hope you enjoy it
Chapter 1: A Normal Life
It wasn't that Artemis Fowl was bored. How could he be? He had two younger brothers running around him now, causing all sorts of trouble. He'd come home to find that the twins had gotten their hands on finger-paints and made his room a multicolored maelstrom of drunken rainbows. His computers had suffered the most, since the screens looked like sheets of paper to the young twins. It seemed no lock could keep them out any longer.
His mother and father had also devoted their weekends to touring the world with him and the twins. It didn't sound like a bad idea when Artemis was first presented with it, but his father chose rural areas that generally repelled tourism. One place hadn't even had bathrooms, shacks being the only thing present in the out of the way Indian town. He'd gotten himself so dirty sleeping in 'nature' that he was sure the orange soil was still caked in the pours of his skin.
Holly would also call him up every few months or so with updates on the fairy world. She was back in her old position thanks to Trouble Kelp taking over the LEP. Her and Mulch had parted ways, but he was still running the P.I. business that the two of them had started so Artemis would get the odd word every now and then about the dwarf. It seemed they hadn't killed one other yet, and were close enough so be sharing stories at the least so Artemis assumed they were getting along well enough.
So no, Artemis Fowl wasn't in need of entertainment. He currently had enough 'entertainment' in his life. It simply felt as though something was missing. Ever since his time travelling adventure, something had felt off. He wasn't sure what is was, so he wasn't sure how to correct it. Pouring over literature or the adventures of life did nothing to fill the hollowness he felt. It could be overshadowed sometimes, but it would always come back.
"Butler, what do you think is wrong with me?" Artemis walked with his more or less retired body guard down one of the desolate parks near town. He would have liked to travel to Hyde Park in the famous city of London or fly to Park Güell, had his father permitted it, but they were supposed to be getting ready for another family outing. Artemis hadn't had the heart to find out where. Either way, he knew it was going to be somewhere less than appealing.
"Artemis," Butler sighed, "for a sixteen year old, you really do over analyse. Have fun. It's not going to kill you."
Artemis had only turned sixteen a week ago and he was glad that his age was finally catching up to him. "This so called over-analysing is one of the things that separates me from irredeemable mediocrity. Intelligence should not be belittled."
"I'm not belittling intelligence, but having the wisdom to know when to apply it…" Butler paused as he stared down at the teenager, younger in body but not in mind. The only thing lacking was the boy's involvement in the real, normal world. Even his involvement in the fairy world was sketchy. "With you, I think it's a problem."
"How so?" Artemis looked around, taking in the sight of the drying trees, most of which were clinging to their dead leaves like hungry beggars. "It's never hindered me in the past. In fact, I believe my intelligence has saved lives on several occasions."
"That is not the problem. Your intellect makes it difficult for you to interact with other people, Artemis. You don't think much of others and you rarely bother to hide it." Butler winked. "You don't do it with me or Holly, but most of society doesn't like being talked down too by a minor."
"My age should hardly be a factor in this conversation. If my mental capacity is sufficient, I hardly see a problem with it."
"That's not the only point I'm trying to make, Artemis." Butler put one of his large hands on the boy's shoulder. "You care about your friends and your family, I know that. But when have you ever loved someone who wasn't family?"
"What?" Artemis pulled away. The look he shot Butler was filled with skepticism and more than a little bemusement. "What are you talking about? Why would I need to be in love with somebody?"
"It's not that I think it's a bad thing." Butler smiled. "In fact, most girls would think it was cute. My problem is that you don't even try. You'll talk to people, get to know them and maybe like them, but that's as far as you go."
"So you think I require a girlfriend?" Artemis raised an eyebrow to show how illogical that sounded. "There are millions of single people out in the world who get along fine in their lives. A girlfriend would do nothing for me." Though he had thought about Minerva once or twice. They'd met a few times since he'd returned. The converstions had been nice and the games challenging. If he was to have a girlfriend in the future, she didn't seem like a bad choice.
"It's not that it's necessary to have someone special in your life, I just think that it would help you. You never show any interest in more than understanding people. There could be a lot of reasons that you allow yourself to be isolated. With what happened to you're parents before Holly came along, it makes me think you're doing it because afraid of getting hurt."
Artemis's echoing footsteps came to an abrupt end halt in the autumn sunshine. Butler walked a foot more before stopping as well.
"Is that what it is?" Artemis put a hand to his forehead and thought about it. Was he afraid of getting hurt if he ever became close with somebody? He looked back on his life. Butler had gotten shot because of him. He'd seen Holly die right before his eyes. His father had been kidnapped for years and his mother had been sick twice, once surely because of his own foolish actions. The fairies had mind wiped him once because of the danger he posed to the People. Maybe he was a danger to everyone.
"Artemis." Butler's hand was back on his shoulder. "I would be surprised if you didn't feel that way, at least a little. You've been through a lot. Take your time. Get used to life again. Everything will fall into place in its own time."
"I do believe it will. I suppose I will simply have to be patient until that time comes." Artemis took in the dying landscape around him. Winter was coming on sooner then is should have. The chill came on drastically and it was only September.
The walk back to Fowl manner took fifteen minutes and Artemis could see how cold Butler was, even in his heavy coat. The teen wasn't doing much better. Despite his expensive jacket, his lean body did little to conserve heat.
As they came upon the road to his home, Artemis felt a sudden pain in his chest. He stopped walking as Butler continued, not having noticed him stop. Artemis couldn't fault him for it. Butler was really getting on in years now. After the intense healing he'd gone though, his body must have been pushing sixty. After more than a foot separated them, Butler took notice but continued on, concluding it was that he give Artemis some time alone to think to himself after what they'd been talking about. It usually took Artemis some time to comprehend things when his own emotions were involved.
The pain wasn't that terrible. Artemis' brain stopped processing as he stood still. He was trying and failing to assess what it was that was causing the source of the dull throbbing. He titled his head slightly to look downwards, feeling the world sway as he did. There was a large red patch staining his dark coat. His eyes saw the hole in the jacket, on his left side somewhere near his heart, but his brain did nothing with the information.
He tried to call out to Butler, to get the situation explained to him, but his words wouldn't leave his throat, Artemis only managed to exhale slightly. It was at that time that he noticed how shallow and uneven his breathing had become.
Butler finally turned, a good fifteen feet ahead of where Artemis was still frozen. He knew he wouldn't be able to move. If he tired he'd fall over and the rock pathway didn't look too inviting.
"Artemis, what's the matter?"
Artemis's brain started working slowly. He'd been shot. The bullet had to have come from behind him or Butler would have seen it. Wherever the shooter was, they must have been currently hiding. As old as his body was, Butler had good eyes. Artemis knew is dark coat blending in with what must be his blood obscured his dire situation.
That left one vital fact running circles in Artemis's head. If he was shot, there was a high chance that Butler would try to intervene. It would only get the retired bodyguard killed, and Artemis could tell there wasn't much hope for himself, considering the location of the wound.
So the teen tried his best to turn around, putting one foot to the side and feeling his body tremble like a leaf on the wind. He couldn't let Butler get shot again because of him.
So the Irish youth did the only thing he could think of. He felt a surge of adrenaline as his body reacted to the pain and initiated the fight or flight response. Using the sudden burst of activity in his sympathetic nervous system, he ran off in the opposite direction. He wasn't sure how his feet were moving beneath him, but he desperately hoped that they would continue to do so until he'd separated himself from Butler enough so that his friend wouldn't be a target.
His sprint didn't last long and Artemis let himself fall to his knees. His breaths were coming in short and fast, constricting his chest as if someone were stabbing him with each inhalation.
Must have punctured my lung, Artemis found himself thinking. His shook himself and smiled, noticing that he wasn't even thinking in complete sentences. He pressed a hand to the bullet hole, but it did nothing to stop the pain. The bullet must have gone clean through his chest, meaning that his lung had been ruptured not once, but twice.
Artemis had never been shot before. As frightening as the experience was, he was strangely serene at that moment.
Butler came up behind him, panting lightly from the Kevlar constricting his lungs.
"Artemis, I'm not as young as I used to be." Butler took in a steadying breath and was quickly himself again. He'd been training to improve his lung functions for the lesser part of a year and had been seeing good results.
The bodyguard's eyes widened when Artemis half turned to him, unable to control his frantic inhalations as his punctured lung refused to inflate and receive the oxygen.
"What happened?"
The shooter had his chance to finish him off and hadn't. That meant that they weren't out to kill him just yet, though Artemis was sure he was carrying around a mortal wound, or they hadn't planned on getting Butler as well. Either way, Artemis had done what he could. Whatever happened next was out of his control.
"Artemis." Butler put a hand on his shoulder to get a better look at the teen. Artemis heard his friend gasp in surprise.
"Artemis!" Butler shook him and, in his kneeling position, all Artemis could do was sway in the larger man's hands. Butler could clearly see what had happened but he couldn't understand how. They were outside the manor gates and the perimeter cameras weren't hidden. No professional would have risked themselves under the watchful eye of the lenses. To top it off, Butler had his Sig Sauer in his pocket. He'd take care of Artemis first but not many people knew that.
Butler placed his hands gently around Artemis so that the teen wouldn't be in any avoidable pain. Artemis tired to protest, mentally chiding the man for doing something he shouldn't be doing. Though he hadn't grown much in girth, Artemis knew he was a few inches taller. Butler had only started coming back into his old well-being in recent months.
Butler was able to lift him and Artemis' unheard protests were brought to an end by an unintentional rough jostling as Butler stood up. The pain that had been numbed was taking over his body by the milliseconds and Artemis had to clench his teeth to keep in any noise of the torture inside. He wasn't good with pain.
"Hold on Artemis! We'll get you to a hospital!" Butler suppressed the desire to run so as to avoid jolting his charge. He moved at brisk, albeit steady pace. Artemis all but stopped listening to the world around him. He could feel his brain trying to force him into unconsciousness. Artemis fought as hard as he could against it. As terrible as the pain may be, he didn't want to die. Not without knowing the reason.
The moments came in flashes. He saw when Butler brought him to the house, kicking in the door. It was an insurmountable feet for most people, Butler didn't even grunt. The Fowl Manor was build for security. Butler didn't seem to care about that though, and the door was already down and out of his thoughts.
Then Artemis remembered catching a glance of his mother's face as he was placed on the velvet couch in the living room. He was faintly revolted at the thought of staining it with blood, but there was nothing he could do to avoid it. His mother's words never registered.
The sound of the phone being slammed down was next. Artemis smiled again. It wasn't so much that the situation was funny, as he was coming to realize how bleak his state of affairs really was, but it made him giddy none the less. Must have been the blood loss. Artemis knew why the phone had been slammed. He was scarcely holding on to consciousness and the Fowl estate was far enough away from town that it would take ages for an ambulance to arrive.
The teen felt himself being picked up again. Butler's harsh breathing was back in his face and he couldn't help a whimper of pain that escaped him. Artemis wanted to stay on the couch.
"I'll take him there. Hurry and get him in the car."
It was his father's voice. His mother's followed and there was a brief argument he couldn't make out. He wasn't sure if he came to the conclusion or if he was somehow taking in their words without hearing them. Someone would have to stay with Beckett and Myles.
Though he couldn't hear her, Artemis could make out his mother's shape next to him. Butler had picked him up, keeping the bullet wound close to him, so that Artemis was able to blindly reach out his other hand towards his mother without hurting himself further. He felt his mother's fingers wrap around his. They were so warm.
"Arty." He heard her crying. He tried to squeeze her hand back. He wasn't sure if he achieved the result he wanted or not. Butler was stuck between pulling him away from his mother and getting him to the car.
This was the first time that Artemis was the one who was suffering. He was used to consoling the people around him, guiltily aware that most of them were hurt or in trouble because of him. His luck must have finally run out and no one was left to stand in death's door for him any longer, even with the good he was trying to accomplish now.
Even the devil's luck runs out.
"Don't – Worry." Artemis's words were so quiet that he wasn't sure they reached her. His sentiments made it across though, and she tightened her hold on him before releasing his hand.
"I'll be there as soon as I can."
Then Artemis felt himself being carried off again and the world passed in flashes of black and white. Butler's heavy breathing was the only thing that he could identify with certainty. As much as he was trying to fight it, he felt his eyes start to close.
"Don't worry Artemis, I won't let you die."
Those were the last words he heard before the flight and sounds of the world disappeared.
The Lower Elements:
The day was slow for Holly Short. She and Mulch were currently sitting near the power strip and siphoning off some energy to power a small computer console. Holly didn't ask where Mulch had gotten it. The technology it ran on was old and she could swear there were mud men markings on it.
Foaly had hooked the dwarf up with a net base so that he could help the client he was currently working with. Holly had offer her assistance since it beat chasing around a rouge goblin who was on the wanted list for running up a tab at most of the local bars before vanishing.
Mulch's clientele wasn't much of a step up, but Holly saw the opportunity to go top side for this one if she could find proof and present it to Trouble. Mulch's boy was a pixy and he swore that one of the mud men took a photo of his mother that he had dropped while in the bustling city of Hollywood. Holly was checking to make sure that the photo wasn't linked to anything on the mud men net. Foaly wasn't technically allowed to help her yet, since it wasn't her case, so this was the best that she could do. The photo wasn't much of a threat. There were mud men doctoring those types of photos all over the upper world. The problem was the photo material used to make the print out was years ahead of the surface world. Someone would notice that this little piece of psycho-babble was the real deal.
Her phone buzzed as Mulch went off topic and started searching into the latest human products.
"Now why would someone want to buy perfume for a professional athlete? They probably smell terrible with that mud men stink and all."
"Not now." Holly held up the phone but the call was cut off after the first ring. "It looks like Artemis wants something." She raised her eyebrows and smiled at Mulch, not minding the other's company for once. With nothing to do at the LEP and the P.I. business looking to be slow, Holly allowed herself a smile. The message icon near Artemis' name also came up red. Danger. "He never calls me on the emergency line unless it's important."
Mulch grinned back, turning off the computer. "Sounds like fun."
St. Brendan's Hospital, Dublin Ireland:
Butler was vividly aware of two things. One, Artemis was hurt. He was hurt bad. The bullet had nicked the artery leading away from his heart. The doctors had sown him up, but for some unknown reason the blood transplant he was given was playing havoc on Artemis' system. It was as if the teen's body wasn't accepting his own blood type. There were enough machines hooked up to him at the moment that Butler couldn't understand why they weren't able to help him. Artemis wasn't even breathing on his own anymore. He was hooked up t a machine for that.
The second thing that Butler was aware of was that Artemis' current condition was his fault. Even though he was no longer his bodyguard, since Artemis didn't need one having metaphorically turned over a new leaf, Artemis was one of his dearest friends and Butler hadn't done his best to make sure his principle was protected. If he would have acted quicker, things might be different.
Butler had left his side only once, to make a call to Holly. He knew the chances of her making it to Ireland in time to save Artemis were slim, but he had to try. Holly hadn't answer but Butler kept the phone on him in any case. Holly had pulled off a healing when he had been shot and clinically dead, so why not Artemis?
"Arty. Sweetie." Angeline brushed her son's hair out of his face. Her fingers trembled as they moved. She glanced back at Butler with a pleading look. Angeline knew about the fairies. Her smile trembled on her lips when Butler shook his head. Though he wasn't going to give up hope, Artemis's future looked bleak.
Artemis Fowl the first was currently out of the room, making as many phone calls as he could in search of a doctor that would be able to help them. Butler knew well that there no one would dare touch the boy. Artemis's condition was too unstable and it wasn't as if they could get his body to accept the blood. Holly was his only hope.
The phone at Butler's side rang, or more accurately, in his palm. The ring was too small for even his pinky but it still worked as long as the sensor was in contact with his finger
He immediately walked out the door until he was far enough away away to use it and without effecting the medical equipment. He wasn't sure how the transmitter worked and Artemis was in no condition to explain it to him.
"Holly?"
"Butler?" Holly's confused voice echoed over the line with a distinct hiss of static. Though Holly's and Artemis's personal phone connection to one another was handy, it was downright impossible to hear the line clearly at any given time. The call would go through, but it took a few seconds for the connection to clear.
"Holly, I need you. Now."
The urgency in the other's voice broke through any small talk Holly may have planed on having. It had been ages since she's heard from Butler and it seemed like she wouldn't be getting the any time to talk with him. As curious as she was at how Juliet was getting on with her life, it would have to wait.
"Where?" Holly didn't hesitate. If Butler said he needed her, he needed her.
"St. Brendan's."
Holly paused long enough to set up a link with Foaly. She stopped when she realized where he wanted her to go.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. Artemis needs you. The doctors don't know what's wrong and they've said he only has around a day left."
Holly almost dropped the communicator. "Well that's not much of an explanation. I-" Holly didn't think she'd be able to get there in by that deadline. With all the trouble she'd gotten into over the years with Artemis, there was no way she'd be allowed a sanction to go up there to help him. On top of which, though a lot of fairies owed him their lives, he wasn't very popular in Haven. Saving a mud boy was hardly going win her those clearances. More like a stay in the mental hospital. "I'll try."
"That's all I can ask. And Holly?"
Holly finished setting up the link with Foaly on her phone as the centaur's face took over the screen. He stared at Holly curiously as she continued her conversation. She'd explain it to him after she hung up. Foaly was her only opportunity to get to the surface quickly.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you, and please hurry."
Holly didn't need to be told that. Though Artemis was annoying at times, he'd saved her life on numerous occasions. She'd repaid him in full, but saving someone's life bound you to them in ways that Holly still didn't fully understand. Hell would have to rise up and stop her from helping Artemis now.
"Will do."
