Attention! This fic has been hugely overhauled and changed fairly substantially. If you read this before and want details go to chapter 10 and read the A/N there.
They were no longer in Haven, no longer in the fairy world.
"What is this" she asked in a trembling voice.
"No..." a voice spoke but it wasn't Opal's. It was Artemis. "This isn't supposed to happen -" He was cut short by the entry of his eight year old self. The boy looked haggard, his eyes looked far older than they should have at his age. The pressures of his life were already great. The child sat down at a computer and began typing away. Artemis already knew what he was doing, but Opal had no idea of Artemis Fowl's life. She looked curiously at the computers screen. Details of his father's disappearance, or rather a lack of details were being displayed on the screen. Artemis knew that he wasn't really doing anything in this particular memory, merely finding something to occupy his time. His younger self sighed and powered off the Mac. Butler stood at the door, a much leaner, younger and fitter Butler, but a cooler, less familiar one as well. This was some time before their friendship had started to develop.
*****
"I am going to see my mother, Butler. Take care that you don't interrupt." The real Artemis saw the look that passed briefly over Butler's face. His professionalism had been insulted and, for a bearer of the blue diamond, the idea that he would not know to respect his principle's privacy was unthinkable. But that same professionalism covered over any annoyance in an instant, and the younger Artemis Fowl certainly didn't notice.
However whilst they were walking towards the room, Angeline Fowl met them in the corridor.
"Mother! You should be in bed! The doctors said -"
She silenced him with a regal wave of her hand. "Do not tell me what to do, young man. It is certainly none of your business. If you are here to play with my Arty then I am sure one of the maids will show you to his room."
The younger Artemis frowned, not quite understanding this confusing statement. "Mother I - I am Arty!" She wobbled slightly at this statement and stared at him, but her eyes were unfocused. "Don't you recognise your own son?"
"No...no – you are not my son. My little Arty is so good to me. Where is my son? Where is my husband? Arty!"
"Mother please!"
He tried to move towards her, to hug her or comfort her perhaps, but she pushed him away. "Butler! Take this man away this instant! And bring me my son. Arty! Come here, darling, Mummy needs you!"
Young Artemis had been knocked to the floor by her push and he stared up at his mother with watery eyes. But a second later the emotion was stripped away, to be replaced by a cold harsh face. Even Opal was surprised at the expression – she had never seen Fowl at his worst.
He stood up and brushed off his suit delicately. "Very well, Mrs Fowl." A sneer came onto his voice. "I'm afraid your husband is gone and you won't be seeing him for some time. As for your son... I would be surprised if he ever wanted to see you again." Opal drew breath sharply, she couldn't help herself. She had been jealous of Artemis's relationship with his family, particularly his mother. When she took control of her she had been privy to the love and devotion the woman had for her son, and it had sickened her, but at the same time she felt a slight pang at the strength of the bond between the two. This was somehow strangely horrific, even for her.
*****
"I didn't see her for three days after that." Artemis spoke calmly enough. "I used to hear her calling for me." The memory of this moment came forward, and they heard his mother's terrified voice wailing madly. He shuddered at the screams. "I was a child, petulant. Smart enough to know what would hurt her the most, but too self-centred for sympathy."
The rush of memories had stopped at last. They were again in empty space. Both had been shocked and torn at by the unpleasant reminders. Opal's cruel indifference had been dented, and his slightly superior attitude had gone. He could no longer play the role of psychiatrist, couldn't claim to be the healthy individual. He hadn't foreseen that they would both be involved in this.
"Perhaps you were right, Fowl." Opal's voice was a whisper. "I think we aren't very different. But not for the reasons you meant." A gaunt smile spread across her face. "You can be as cruel as I can, as bitter and twisted and vengeful as I am. We're not so different in that respect."
What did she want him to say? He realised she didn't really delight in saying this. There was some satisfaction to her in being able to target him, especially as he had acted so arrogantly. Artemis Fowl had no right to judge her, not by the standards he had set. But at the same time she felt more miserable than vindictive. She didn't know what she wanted at all. And Opal Koboi had always wanted something.
Artemis seemed to be deep in thought, but he shook his head at her accusation. "Perhaps you're not as cruel as you think you are."
"Hmm. No, I think I am. And you're just as bad as me, Fowl. Don't deny it." She stopped abruptly. More memories were coming.
"They're mine again," he said. Despite himself she saw he remained calm. She found herself struggling to keep herself together at all. But he soon lost his composure when he saw what was happening.
"Oh..."
*****
A solitary figure sat hunched up in a cot, curled into the foetal position. She was trembling ever so slightly. As Opal watched the door slid open and Artemis Fowl walked into the cell wearing mirrored lenses. The Elf on the floor didn't notice him enter.
"Looking for something?" A cold voice. The only emotion noticeable was a kind of satisfaction, as though he enjoyed the part he was playing. Opal found herself slightly intimidated by this child, more so than she had ever been of the more adult Artemis. Her hair rose on the back of her neck. He seemed sinister somehow; a far more malevolent presence. Holly Short started at his entry, and glared at the boy, clenching her fist.
"Getting ideas are we, Captain Short? We are both aware of the rules here, Captain. This is my house, you must abide by my rules."
Artemis Fowl seemed not to notice his prisoner's feelings, but Opal did. The unmistakeable tinge of fear in Holly's eyes, pushed to the bottom by her pride and bravery, but still there. The experience of being kidnapped had affected the Captain more than she would have ever admitted. No one was made of steel. Holly's replies were strong and gave away none of her feelings, but Opal seemed not to hear them. The moment of weakness in Holly Short had been unexpected to say the least. But then something made her take notice. Something Fowl was saying.
"Look at your arm. That's where we administered the Sodium Pentathol." He chuckled. "You sang like a bird."
And again Opal saw the fear in Holly, saw the horror almost. "You're mad!" Fowl acknowledged this compliment, pleased with the effect his mind games were having. Opal watched on, amazed, and saw Holly attempt to pull herself one last time. "This isn't over, Fowl, we have powers you can't possibly know about. It would take days to describe them all."
"How long do you think you've been here?"
"A few hours?" A desperate hope.
"Three days. We've had you on a drip for over sixty hours. You told us everything we needed to know." Holly looked stunned. A mixture of terror, hate, disgust and horror flashed across her delicate features as she realised what had been done to her. Even worse was the realisation of how much she had betrayed her people. And the boy revelled in it; you could see by the smile fixed on his face.
When she spoke she could barely get the words out, could barely breathe. "Three days? You could have killed me! What kind of..."
She couldn't finish. Opal saw that she was sickened by his complete disregard for her life and her mind. All the nightmare tales of Mud men that fairies told to their children did no justice to Artemis Fowl the Second. This was no savage, greedy bogeyman that lived in mud and carried a club. Sophistication, intelligence, subtlety and control; the defining characteristics of Artemis Fowl. All brought to bear on the task of defeating the little fairies and stealing their gold. And for what? The money? There were easier ways to get hold of cash; in fact there was almost no way more difficult. But Artemis Fowl had done it for the challenge, for the game. And for that same game he was willing to bring all of his cold cleverness down onto Holly Short, with no pity for the creature who must have looked like a child to him.
Although Opal had tried to play with the minds of her victims, she had never been any good at it. Mostly her enemies, particularly Artemis, had found her mind games amusing. And now she saw why. To see Artemis Fowl turn his mind to what was, in effect, psychological torture, was like sitting at the feet of a cruel giant - she felt like a child, a naive innocent, in front of this. No fairy could hope to detach themselves enough to achieve this emotionless, pitiless state and Opal was shocked. The very fact that Artemis Fowl had managed to affect Holly Short at all was enough to prove how good he was. Opal had killed Holly's mentor, nearly wiped out her friends, and made her the pariah of her entire race, and the Elf had only become more determined to win. And Artemis Fowl had nearly crushed her with a whisper and a smile.
She looked at the real Fowl with new eyes, half admiring him, realising she had never even come close to him. How much had he changed?
*****
The scene had faded, but not before they had both seen Holly slump to the floor, the shock and exhaustion finally taking their toll.
"It was a lie. There was no sodium pentathol." Perhaps he was trying to make an excuse. He sounded more shaken than before. "I had my reasons, as pathetic as they were."
Opal found herself nodding. She stopped herself quickly, but actually she felt little enmity towards Fowl any more. "Why is she – why is Holly your friend?" It wasn't meant as an attack; it was a genuine question.
"I don't know. I suppose - she forgave me. Saw something in me that she thought deserved her charity." He looked at Opal and smiled, but his heart wasn't in it. She looked back into his eyes for a moment and was caught. How could he be so strong, after being forced to relive the worst moments of his life? She could no longer pretend strength, any more than she could pretend that she was pure evil. She was far from 'good', but the role of completely immoral, self-interested villain was no longer a persona she could lose herself in, however comforting it might have been to do so. Free of the madness that had engulfed her mind, she was no longer the despicable, hate-filled creature she had been.