Chapter Four:
Shattered
Artemis could hear the events unfold the emotions that he had weakened to. He'd been left an angst teenager weakened by magic and mood swings. Sobbing about how he didn't deserve to live how he killed everyone how it's his fault.
He hadn't pulled the trigger or at least he had. If he stayed in this darkness broken and shattered he would probably end up killing himself. Did he really feel so guilty as to end his own life? Artemis had given up his life to save the people.
No he hadn't done it for being a hero Holly had always been his Hero. She had saved him when he had become nothing. It felt like a soap opera only he had been casted to play the part. Like a broken down horse expecting to be the male lead.
It's almost comical that he a skinny pale gangly thing could do anything. He should have listened to Butler he should have worked our more and trained when he had the chance. Artemis should have killed Opal when she had the chance.
But Holly had changed him or had he. Even now he could feel his mouth moving the words coming full circle out of his mouth.
I can't save anyone. That's true enough he hadn't saved Vinya he hadn't saved Lilly Frond either. He had controlled and manipulated her even in his raw state. It's as if he's a normal boy in a genius body his mind is melting.
His clone dose not have a soul that's not the problem. He's the problem he's rejecting his new body. That must be it his soul is protesting the re-entry. An abomination that's what he is, he couldn't return to the above ground.
His parents oh God his parents. Artemis couldn't remember being dead but he could imagine what they must be going through. He could feel him turning on his friends standing up let me go, he's the one who let go.
Artemis had gone down a Hero he would be remebered to all fairies and yet as always humans and their ignorance. What did he think he'd accomplish by coming back from the dead? Did he think that he would make up for all of his mistakes?
Did he really think he ever could? Artemis had always been afraid to face the truth that he'd been fighting his human urges since forever. To obtain wealth he had obtained much more then that his friendship with the fairies.
Well some fairies and now he spat on their friendship. Wanted to destroy his memory by giving up because he didn't want to face it. Artemis had made this choice not his multiple personality Orion he had decided to save them.
It had been odd having someone else inside of your head. Even if it's just another version of himself no matter how annoying and how relentless he had been after Holly. Orion had gone after what he had wanted.
The boy had been a weakling and yet he'd been able to tell Holly Short how much he cared for her. His Elf kissing days had been over from the start. Artemis smiled so gently in his state images rattling through his skull.
Impossible it would never happened he had destroyed his chances with her. Lied and mainpulated her because he had been weak. Artemis had fallen prey to his humanity his cursed blood that ran through him and yet.
He didn't want to die not a second time. Artemis had to accept what he had accomplished the good and the bad. With his hand and all the remaining energy he had he reached within himself and grabbed a hold of his magic.
Release me he thought it like a giant word and forced himself back into his mind. Magic latched itself onto him wrapping himself into a warm embrace. It sucked and merged with his very concious he had enough magic to out live any normal human.
His body had become 11 again but his mind wired to the key alert and ready to fight what ever came from outside of that door. In the waking world he had stopped talking had fallen to the floor and had begun to shake uncontrollably.
"Artemis," he heard someone shout he could hear gunfire from somewhere all at once thousands of voices are giving out orders.
"Captain?" he said it that is enough and experimentally the word unused like sawdust in his mouth.
"Oh thank Fraud your back are you?" Holly looked down at him their running he's on some sort of stretcher theirs a lot of shooting.
He had more then enough thinking more then enough weakness in his life. "Keep going you can have your reunion later." That's Grub.
He wouldn't blame him for never forgiving him he'd always felt as if he'd stolen Holly away from him. Trouble would probably be Hollys best bet at a normal life. Who would have thought an elf and a human. Even so being 11 might complicate things.
Artemis looked at her his eyes wild he'd seen so much been through so much with her. For a moment he allowed himself to lay their as she pushed him. Watching the outside windows they ran into the street LEPrecon officers surrounding them on all form.
"I remember," Artemis said the magic flowing through out his body he could feel it making him feel happy. Abusing his emotions making them go on a high Artemis fought it of course but it was no easy task.
Behind him the wall burst into power a large Troll wearing some sort of device came storming out of the office building. Thought calling this a troll is like calling a dragon a lizard. This beast is almost twice the size of a regular troll.
He has some sort of machine strapped ot his head blood red pupils large carnivorce fangs and his hair has been shaven. Theirs all sorts of tactoos and markings wires through out his body which twitches on occasion as if electricity has been shot through him.
"Get me the human," a voice orders on the communications.
The troll takes a step fowrod just one and his heavy feet drags Artemis out of his happy slumber. He charges at the nearest LEPrecon vechile swatting it away as if it's a fly. "Take your positions," Trouble shouts as they move behind a volly of officers.
They take up their shields behind them lasers are shot off into the Trolls chest. Trolls are dumb creatures brains the size of ping pong balls. With the power of ten predators this one went straight into the attack.
No one waited for orders they wasted about forty rounds into the beast. His fur had been burned off from the lasers the creatures howls are horrible. He's slapping at his own injuries screeching in pain, "Kill them," the voice is distorted.
But with each command steam burns from the machinery on the beasts head. His skin literately starts to steam as the troll howls with more intensity.
"Take it out of its misery," Grub voice shook sure Trolls are predators but they are still an animal. They don't deserve this.
It took one round to the head before the beast lay still. Artemis had been strapped into the back of a van while Holly took up the defensive. Artemis remained impassive lost in a long series of memories and thoughts.
Butler would blame himself of course, Holly would be furious. Artemis had accepted what he had done he had no choice. If he continued to allow guilt to consume him he'd be counting again driven mad by it even.
He had done enough and he couldn't do anything to change the past. Not without destroying all the progress he had made. As a human as a living creature of this earth he could do better even if he had to live the rest of his life below it.
Artemis planed on being better doing better. "Captain," Artemis called even as he did so. Holly moved to him already on her own.
For a moment she says nothing. Theirs nothing that can't be said. Artemis had done more then enough to make her seriously doubt his mind.
"I know it's you, as you were before you were too emotional to hurt." She didn't reach out to comfort him instead she watched him.
Artemis forced himself to look at her silence he had nothing to say. Shooting himself in the head hadn't been against his wishes. Fighting had he had given up to darkness he had let the comfort of it the lack of communication gratify him.
Glorified he'd like that being the savior of the people. That's how his legacy had ended it had been perfect a human saving the people.
Just what they needed Artemis feared what humanity could do to the people. What they could take from him and yet. He knew that the people couldn't hide forever it might be their strength but soon it wouldn't last.
"Holly," he said her name that's it.
"I'm not untying you until you see a Doctor," she snapped moving off to sit in the van.
"Probably a good idea," he said this time not looking at her. Instead he focused on what Holly and Trouble had told him.
He had done good. He had done the right think. Almost desprately he allowed it to fill his entire councious. Whats the point of being alive if you wish you were dead anyways? He allowed his magic to settle allowing it to flesh out his system.
His body had been transformed magic had grown and settled inside of him. Artemis inhaled in deeply feelign the way he had did when he Holly his friends and the demons had carried the island back to earth. He had felt apart of everything at once.
Artemis invoked the memory allowing his mind to do what it wanted which is sleep. To settle down into its new shape.
