Chapter One

Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and many families were out enjoying the rare sunshine. Including a Mr and Mrs Fowl and their three children, Artemis, Myles and Beckett. Also present was the hulking figure of Butler Artemis's bodyguard.

Artemis didn't resent that he'd been dragged into this by his parents; in fact this was just the kind of thing he had intended to do now that his family was complete again. The fact that he'd had had cancel several important meetings meant nothing, nothing at all. Ok maybe a little bit.

But on the other hand, it gave Artemis a chance to try out his new toy. Holding up the device Artemis inspected it. It looked much like a hand held video camera although its function was quite different. It was a long range scanner that used (stolen) fairy. It could do: x-ray, infer- red, heat vision and (something that Artemis believed was beyond even Foaly) it could determine the target's age, IQ and emotional state (if they were happy or sad or whatever). Bringing the device to his eye Artemis aimed it first at Myles and then Beckett. As Artemis had expected, there was a definite difference between the twins. Sighing, he put the device away.

"Tag Artemis, you're it!" Beckett screeched as he slapped Artemis on the back. Artemis reacted with the only acceptable response for someone of his intelligence and maturity. He chased after him.

Slowly Butler stepped forward "Mrs Fowl, would it be ok if I left you and your family for a few minutes? There is something I have to take care of," Butlers, usually emotionless, face showed a shadow of worry.

"Of course Butler, go take a break, we'll be fine won't we boys?" Mr. Fowl nodded along with his wife and Master Artemis and his brothers busy playing tag. Butler took this as a sign that he had the whole family's permission and left.

Although Butler projected the outward appearance of being perfectly calm, inside he was coiled tighter than a spring. Something bad was going to happen and he knew it. Ever since he'd arrived in Dublin, Butler had felt like he was being watched. Not the Fowls, him. This wasn't too odd. Every now and then some nutcase strongman would decide that he was going to go and defeat one of the infamous Butlers, from the family of bodyguards. Butler pitied the fool who thought he could defeat him, but this time something felt different. Whoever it was, they weren't your average strong man.

Butler Walked down the maze of twisting alleyways, while refraining from holding his nose at the stench. Finally he came to a stop.

"You know it's no go hiding, if you have something to say, say it, and stop creeping around like some sort of coward," Butler was in no mood to be messed about. He silently cursed this mysterious stranger for their bad timing, while trying to bury that rising feeling of unease.

"Well that's not very nice, calling someone a coward. You know manners don't cost anything."

The voice was high pitched and seamed to waver up and down in a sing-song manner. The tone was slightly mocking and joking. Butler turned and glared down at the stranger. This was not what he'd been expecting. Before him stood a young girl, about 18-20 years old. She was about five and a half feet tall and as pale as Master Artemis. Curiously, her eyes were a deep and unnatural shade of crimson (probably some sort of contact lenses, Butler thought) .Her long fiery hair (the same shade as her eyes) fell down her back to her waist, and she was smiling innocently. To the casual onlooker she didn't appear to be much of a threat, but Butler knew that looks could be deceptive, take Master Artemis for example.

"And you would be?" Butler inquired, that feeling of unease growing as her smile widened. Something was drastically wrong here. Every instinct was screaming at him that he should run, now. As a bodyguard, Butler had learned to trust his instincts.

"Oh, I don't think you need to know that,"

"Then please be gone, I have no intention of fighting a young woman,"

"Could you at least attempt to be civil?" she sighed "Whatever your intentions are, it doesn't matter." She said, the smile falling from her face as she waved her hand absent-mindedly.

"I'm here because I'm hungry and you do smell wonderful," the smile was back but this time it wasn't a smile of amusement, but of savage anticipation.

"Defend yourself if you wish bodyguard, it will make no difference ether way!"Suddenly, she sprang. Butler, in all his years, had never seen someone move so fast. One moment she was halfway down the alleyway, the next she was flying towards him. Butlers reflex's kicked in just I time, and his fist shot forward. There was an almighty crunch and the woman was thrown across the floor. Butler stared down at his knuckles in shock. Where once his hand had been, there was now just a bloody mess of broken bones and shattered cartilage. Great. What on earth was she made of? Stone?

With a hiss the woman sprang to her feet completely unharmed.

"Very good human, that one actually hurt just a little bit. Now, if you just stand still, it'll be quick and painless, I promise," Butler cursed inwardly and drew a handgun from his jacket pocket. With quick practiced movements, Butler flicked the safety of and opened fire at the woman. The gunshots were deafening and echoed off the brick walls of the alleyway. When the gun clicked empty he slid it back into his pocket and glared at whatever it was standing, arrogantly, across the alley, arms folded across her chest.

"Are you finished? I'm getting tired of this, bodyguard. Why do you lot have to be so stubborn, hmm?" she sighed again, as if bored of the whole ordeal. Again, she sprang at him, but this time Butler didn't have time to react as she crashed into him, pining his arms and legs to his sides. He thrashed and struggled but to no avail, he couldn't escape. Her teeth sank through the skin at his neck like a hot knife through butter. Pain lanced through Butler's body as the world around him began to fade.

"Butler!" he knew that voice... that voice – Artemis! Panic raced through Butler mind; if Artemis was here then he was in danger two!

"Run... Artemis, get away from here..." Butler managed to choke out, as the woman drew her mouth away from his bleeding neck.

"Aww... this is truly tragic," mock sympathy laid heavily in her voice. Butler could sense that she was pouting, his vision was going and all he could see were hazy outlines.

"You know you'll have to die now to Mr. Artemis, you've seen far, far, too much," she said slowly rising into a crouch in preparation for pouncing at Artemis.

"Oh I don't think so," slowly Artemis withdrew his hand from his pocket. He was holding something, but Butler couldn't see well enough to make out what it was. There was the click of a button being pressed and then the low buzzing that you would usually associate with flying insects. The woman gave a piercing scream and then a growl at something beyond Butler's perception.

"My, what big ears you have Grandma," Artemis's voice was confidant and triumphant.

"This is device produces as sound too high for human ears to catch, but not too high for yours. If It s about 160 Decibels which, if we could hear it, would pop human eardrums. Maybe you're made of tougher stuff but I'm willing to bet that it hurts right?" The woman gave a final scream and fled the alleyway. Turning the device off and putting it in his pocket, Artemis knelt beside Butler.

"Butler? Butler can you hear me? Don't worry Everything's going to be all..." And then Butler's world went black as he was consumed by the blazing fiery pain that obliterated all else.