Chapter Two

Holly Short was in a bit of a tight spot. Which much have been a first since there are not many options when you are a mere three feet to get trapped, but here she was, trapped under a two foot high ledge with a bloodthirsty troll trying to have her for an appetizer.

This has got to be a first, Holly thought to herself. While I may have set a record, I am not as concerned about that as I am with this mangy troll that only Frond knows how it got in a LEP shuttle bay…

She held up her gun to see how many shots she had left. A single pulsing aqua light informed her that she had a whopping ONE shot left! Oh that's just great. How did that happen this time?! Then, Holly remembered the few dozen shots she tried, and failed to hit the massive troll. That probably was why there were quite a few dismantled shuttles. She shrugged. Not her problem. Holly had to get out of here soon. It was almost quitting time! She had to use the last shot. She took a deep breath, to steady her nerves…

One shot, hit or miss... In, Out… She aimed the best she could give the situation. She aimed and sent it on its way. It hit the troll in the chest, sending him spiraling and falling to the ground with a thud.

Holly crawled out, surprisingly sore. But, what do you expect after crouching for a couple hours? She stood, stretched, an, all of a sudden, Commander Trouble Kelp's voice filled her ear. "Captain is the troll out of action? I repeat is the troll down?

Holly held the reply button on her ear piece. "Yes commander, the troll is out for the count."

"Good job Major. Take the rest of the day off"

Holly groaned inwardly. There was only two hours until quitting time, but out loud, "Thank you, sir."

Holly turned on her hummingbird wings and flew off. She took a stop at Police Plaza to check out and return her brand new Dublex 2000 "Fresh off the line", Foaly said. "Impossible to break or override." Oh, just like every other thing you make that couln't be override and was? Foaly let out an annoyed neigh. "Yes major, exactly like that. Now go." She, as a major was allowed to keep the wings. She was cleared for air travel so she flew home, rather then taking the Stick.

As she flew above it, she remembered when Artemis first was on it… She smiled at the memories of the past few months. Well, smiled and blinked away tears. She would never forget the empty feeling inside when her best friend died, to save the world no less. Then a few days a go, he remembered everything. She gave him a test. When she asked the question, what color boxers did you wear when we traveled thought time, he blushed the same color and muttered red… That's when she knew that he was back. Or, fully operational, which is about one hundred fifty percent more functional then the normal person, or 1.5 Mozarts, or ¾ a Da Vinci if he was feeling modest, which was rare.

When she landed outside her pale green house, she removed the wings and went inside. As soon as she collapsed on her bed, the ring tone she set for Artemis played. His forth symphony, written for his friends, primarily Holly. She believed it was titled The Gorgon's Eye. She flipped the top of the ring, or communicator. "Hey Mu-" She froze. It wasn't Artemis on the other end. It was Butler. "Butler…" She whispered. It wasn't so much the fact that Butler was on the other line, it was his expression.

"Holly, it's… it's…"

"Please Butler, Spit it out."

" It's Artemis. He's… sick…"

Holly was stunned. As far as she knew, which is what Foaly knew, Artemis had never been sick in his life.

" It's just a cold… right?"

Butler sighed, eyes cast down, running a hand over his head.

"Butler, it's just a cold, right?" It sounded stupid. Butler wouldn't call her unless it was bad. Very bad.

" No Holly, it's.. Its… nothing I have ever seen in my life."

She stumbled backward, almost falling off the bed.

"What!?"

"It may be a fairy disease… come. Please.

"I'll see what I can do." She replied, turning off the communicator. In a minute she was out the door, hailing a cab.