A/N : Okay, this isn't as long as I hoped for, but it's kind of okay. It's a A/H chapter :D. I'm really not good with emotional scenes. Why are they never lengthy? Oh, and and anyone who cares enough about the author's feelings enough to read this author's note… Could you make a promise? Yes? Okay, here it is : Promise that you will read this chapter and then do what the author's note at the bottom tells you to do. Come on, you promised! You know you did!
Sorry for the long time between the updates… I was kind of unsatisfied with this so I left it to pursue some other fandoms. It's a good way to kind of refresh my mind. Plus in Korea, a new school year started… so the excuses out of the way the disclaimer!
Disclaimer : I don't own Artemis Fowl. Duh. I'm staring at the cover of TLC as I reread it again, but It doesn't have my name on it in any form. Not my English name, Korean name, nicknames or Spanish name, I should make a new nickname. Tell me what you think about it : Eoin Colfer.
Chapter 7 : Plan Revealed
The Lower Elements, Police Plaza; Earlier
Holly short was currently in a shouting match. The sorry elf that was her opponent was also her superior. This is to say that it was Trouble Kelp.
"I need to go up!"
"Where in Frond do you need to go so urgently in the middle of a war?"
"Fowl Manor," she sighed. D'Arvit.
Trouble's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He shook his head violently, "Fowl Manor? Did I hear that right? No! We are in the middle of a war!"
"My ears are fine, Trouble," Holly said, sung the horrible sarcastic edge that she picked up from the mud boy himself. This drove her commander over his head.
Trouble went on Commander mode, "Don't call me Trouble, Captain."
"Sorry, Trubbs. But Artemis is the one with the plan, and I as the close friend need to ask him to clarify a part of the plan with Mulch."
"I don't care if that mud boy has a brilliant plan that will probably kill everyone! You are an officer under my command, and I say that you need to do your duty!"
"My duty is protecting the People! This is needed!"
"I can't let you go up! I'll lose my job!"
"You got Opal Koboi out of prison, but you can't let me out of the LE?"
"That's my point! Why in Frond is Opal out in the first place?"
"AGH! Trouble! I need to go up!"
"Don't call me Trouble, I'm Commander-"
Obviously, he was interrupted, as Holly did not care in the least what Trouble was called.
"I'm going to go up, and if you won't give me permission to do it legally, I'll go any way I can!"
"Your job can't hold another disregarding of a direct order! If Fowl really cared about you than he would-"
He was interrupted again.
"Artemis, is caring for the People. Which is more than you're doing right now!"
Trouble blinked, he was hurt by that comment. It did not help that she corrected his use of calling the mud boy "Fowl", into, "Artemis".
Holly plowed on without noticing her Commander's anger, "MULCH! I need a shuttle!" Holly yelled as she stormed away from Trouble. The Commander sighed angrily and ran after her. He caught at the nick of time, they were boarding the illegal shuttle.
Where in the name of Frond did this come from? The Convict doesn't have access to a shuttle!
Trouble had gotten too used to calling Mulch "The Convict" like all the LEP officers.
He yelled,"Captain Short! I order you to stop!"
"He's giving a direct order, maybe he doesn't want me to stop. He knows I never follow them," Holly muttered to Mulch darkly. "No way, Trubbs!"
Trouble glared at her, "Don't call me Trubbs! Get down from there!"
Another order. That settles it.
"No!"
She jammed her foot into the accelerator, Trouble jumped in a second before the shuttle took off so quickly it left an echoing image in the port.
The Lower Elements; 1 hour ago
"Foaly, did you see this?" Holly asked in a dangerous way, as she stomped into the office. Foaly gulped nervously. Holly was holding a recording of a surveillance camera.
"No, let me…" he trailed off as the video played. Artemis flickered on the screen. They watched in silence as the tape played on. At the appropriate parts Foaly gasped, it was really like a television drama. For a second he could actually understand why Opal taped these scenes. Then he shuddered at the thought.
"Oh."
"'Oh', indeed, why did the mud boy tell me to come see you?"
"He told me the real plan," Foaly mumbled, "because Opal and I needed to make an invention for it. He wasn't betraying us."
"He told Opal Koboi the plan, before he told me?"
"I'm sorry Holly," Foaly said sheepishly, "Here, I'll explain."
Holly glared at him, which she had been doing all along. He quickly started.
"Artemis knew that the People wouldn't like the idea about the bio-bomb, or even fighting the war itself. So he decided that a mass mind wipe would be the best way to win the war. So I needed to get the time stop ready, which was harder than anything else we attempted before, because it was a world-wide time stop. No borders." Foaly looked at his screen after it stopped beeping. He made a few clicks on his keyboard, and continued, "Then we needed a new piece of technology that combined the block wipe with the DNA cannons. Since the cannons were Koboi's designs, we needed her. We had to modify them into a 'species' cannons, instead of DNA, to make things more easier."
Foaly huffed, "Then of course, Artemis gets caught consorting with fairies, and he offers to apologize to everyone on television, on a live broadcast. I can modify human technology to let the mesmer to come through now. Then we send in you and Mulch to tunnel into the press meeting, and you can mesmerize everyone in the planet to go to sleep. Then I activate the time-stop, The people in on the secret take some sleeping pills, and they escape the effects of the mesmer. The fairies clean up the proof that there was a war. Simply crazy, but ingenious."
"Why do I need to tunnel with Mulch? Can't you just do the time stop?"
"It's an unfortunate thing, but the mind wipe won't work unless the person is asleep. Of course, there will be some mud men that weren't watching the television, but we can use my new sensor to find them and mind wipe them with the LEP field kit manually."
Holly was mad, and impressed. She sighed, why couldn't she be in on the plans? Why was she always the one to be kept in the dark? So I need to go upside with Mulch as soon as possible?"
Foaly nodded, "That would be nice."
Holly took off running without a second thought.
Foaly hurriedly typed an email to Artemis.
H & M on their way. Told her about the plan.
Before pressing the send button, he quickly added something else.
Good luck.
A reply came back instantly.
Thank you. I assume that I need it.
Foaly snorted.
You assumed right. She's really mad.
Another message.
Sadly, that was necessary. She would not come up for something trivial.
Foaly snorted, Artemis had been manipulating the happenings again. Dangerous mud boy, he wasn't just play acting for past Opal when he got his parents get tortured. He had a double purpose, like always. This actually gave Foaly some positive energy. If Fowl could twist the People's ways, than the mud men were in terrifying danger. He quickly typed a message back.
You know, when you two were on Hybras for those 3 years, you have no idea how peacefully quiet it was here. Not one "Save the world" scenario. Then you come back and it's like those three years never existed.
The reply came an instant later.
Nice to know we're appreciated, Foaly. Also, to me those years never did exist. Work on your phrasing.
In an Illegal Shuttle; Now
Holly was sitting in an illegal shuttle with Mulch and Trouble Kelp. She could not believe her luck.
She turned to the Commander, "Why are you here again?"
He sighed, "I am here because I am an irresponsible Commander. Also, I was mad about you flying off illegally, so I decided to tag along to yell at you."
Mulch rolled his eyes, "Why am I here?"
"You are here because Artemis needs us for one of his outrageous plans," Holly admitted.
Trouble slapped his forehead, "I knew it!"
Holly glared at him, "It will save the world! Trust me for once!"
"I'm going to lose my job."
"Don't be so optimistic, it's unlike you." She growled.
"Do you think Fowl will have some food ready for me?"
They saw Fowl Manor, Holly landed in plain sight, "Let's go," she said.
Holly ignored Trouble mumbling about how irresponsible this was as she stomped to Fowl Manor and pounded on the door.
Fowl Manor
The door opened at the knocking. If you could call it knocking. In Artemis's definition, it was definitely more like hammering. He opened the door with Butler standing behind him. Holly, Mulch, and Trouble were standing at the door, the elves looked very mad. Mulch, was looking normal. In other words, he was looking hungry.
"Do you have any food?" he asked walking in without an invitation. Everyone ignored him because as of that moment, Holly stepped up and kicked Artemis, hard.
"Oomph!" Artemis grunted as he felt the contact. He winced and stood up. Holly marched in without a second glance. She was practically radiating anger. Trouble Kelp smirked.
"She's mad at you."
"Thank you, Commander for the obvious update," Artemis grumbled, "I suppose I should have anticipated that. Will you come in?"
Trouble marched in and sat on the couch. Holly was glaring out the window, and Mulch was attacking the refrigerator.
Artemis frowned at Butler, "You didn't stop it. You thought I deserved that, didn't you?"
Butler grinned, "I have no idea what you are talking about, Artemis. It must be the old age setting in." Artemis ruefully rubbed the new bruise on his leg.
"Help! I'm stuck!" The dwarf said, inside the fridge. Butler went to rescue him. Artemis sighed.
He addressed the two glowering elves, "I take it that Foaly told you of the plan?"
Holly bore a hole in him before she yelled, "Why didn't you tell me? I thought you betrayed us! Are your precious plans so important that you have to keep them from your friends? Why didn't you tell me?"
Trouble looked slightly lost, "What's going on here?"
Artemis and Holly both completely ignored him. Artemis was infuriatingly calm, "I had no reason to tell you! You weren't a part of the plan."
"So your saying that you being captured and having to watch your family being TORTURED isn't something to worry your closest friend about? Talk some sense, Artemis!"
"So your not mad about the part where I apparently betrayed you?" Artemis clarified, actually looking puzzled.
"You WHAT?" Trouble yelled, "What did you do? Why am I here? Somebody explain!"
His outburst was again unnoticed.
"I had to tell only the people who had a direct part of it! Would the Council allowed it?" Artemis argued.
"UGH!" Holly yelled, "Do I look like the Council to you?"
"You didn't have to know, and so I didn't tell you! Is that so unreasonable? Also, just how did you know about my parents being tortured- " Artemis stopped, realization breaking through, "There was a camera? I thought it was only a bug…"
"No I didn't! Foaly did! I just saw it by accident," Holly defended herself.
"Well, you can keep that from me, but I can't keep a simple plan to myself?"
Trouble interrupted, "Did the mud boy betray us or not? Stop ignoring me!"
Artemis and Holly payed absolutely no attention to the furious Commander. This would have been unwise for them in other cases. Mostly because he was Holly's leading Commander, and he could kill Artemis quite easily in five seconds. In this case, it was understandable. After all, one could hardly listen to someone else's screaming if they themselves were yelling their heads off at the same time.
Butler and Mulch returned from the fridge to see the three red faced and furiously glaring at each other. It might have been comical except for the fact that Mulch was too cold to feel very humorous.
"Can you tell us what's going to happen now?" He grumbled.
Artemis blinked, returning to his normal poise, "Of course, my apologies Mulch. What is going to happen is in two days; I will be taken to a press conference. To tell the world an inspiring speech on air to raise moral." He scoffed, "Minerva will be weakening the security that day, and you will tunnel through with Holly. Holly will mesmerize everyone who is watching the television that night, and Foaly will cause a time-stop." He glanced at Trouble, "The invention that wipes minds only works on asleep humans. Fairies have been programed not to be harmed. I will again, escape the time-stop with Butler. However, Minerva, my parents and brothers are not to be remembering the fairies."
"Why do you get to remember us?" Trouble grumbled a tad unprofessionally. Artemis glanced briefly at him, and locked eyes. Trouble saw something, regret? He shook his head, Artemis Fowl did not regret things, surely. It would be a waste of time.
"May I have a private word with you, Commander?" Artemis asked suddenly.
Trouble glared at him suspiciously, "No, whatever you want to say can be said with Holly and Mulch in here."
"Very well," Artemis said regretfully, he squarely faced Trouble, "I was leaving out something, that is very crucial to the plan, again." Guilt seemed to glint in his eyes before they were deprived of all emotion, a rock. "I need your word that you will not stop me from what I am about to tell you. All three of you."
"Can anyone stop you from doing anything?" Mulch asked.
"Of course, Artemis, what is it?" Holly asked, hostility disappearing from her eyes as she worriedly exchanged glances with Butler.
"Explain first, promise later, mud boy," Trouble growled. He still didn't trust Artemis.
Artemis shrugged, "Very well, I will not be mind wiped, because I will be wiped from everyone else's minds."
Trouble was lost, "What?"
Mulch scratched his head, "Can you make that any more vague?"
Holly was silent. She had a suspicion of where this was going, but she wasn't sure. She didn't want to be sure. It didn't sound very good.
Artemis sighed, he hated repeating himself, "No human on Earth will remember that a boy named Artemis Fowl the Second ever was born." He said slowly and clearly, as if he was speaking to a room full of two year olds.
"Why?" Trouble yelped.
"Because I am too involved in the war, seeing Artemis Fowl II will force some memories to come through, no matter how strong the wipe is. I tried it with Foaly, there is no possible way for me to exist for this war to end peacefully. So I ask that I be provided a home underground after the war."
"Your practically killing yourself, and you think we won't try and stop you, mud boy?" Holly asked, numb.
"You promised, Holly." Artemis said.
"I didn't, and I'm asking why you're doing this!" Trouble growled.
Artemis coldly glared at the Commander, "It is not a privilege, Commander! If I go along with the wipe, than I will be an amnesiac. Every known fact about me will be erased from every human's mind! If I remain in everyone's memory, not only will there be a gradual breakthrough, their minds will revert to something close to the truth, such as a World War 3. I am not asking this as a favor; this is a punishment, Commander. Butler and I must exile ourselves from the human world. We cannot return after the wipe."
"Why on Earth, or under it, not?"
"We will have no accounts, money, identities, home, or family. Artemis Fowl II and Domovoi Butler will not exist in the world after the war. The Nobel prize will go to a competitor of mine. My accounts have been erased and I have added the money to my parent's accounts and also a few environmental organizations. There was never a Domovoi Butler in training at Madam Ko's. All the psychology books I wrote were never published, all my aliases will be terminated. If you do not take us in Haven, it's basically a death sentence. They cannot remember who I am, it is much too dangerous for them to. All records of our existence, such as birth, schooling, and graduations are gone. Deleted."
Everyone was silent. They were shocked. Artemis kept delivering the horrible news in a toneless voice.
"I will have no family. Mother will not recognize me, neither would my father, or the twins. Juliet will never have had a brother."
Holly walked over to him, Artemis's breathing was coming in quick, shallow, bursts.
"They won't be sad, they won't even miss us," he said, almost trying to convince himself. "Their minds will come up with a brilliant explanation for all these holes. Myles, Beckett, and Mother will ensure that Father stays straight. He could have been rescued from the Mafia by another person."
Holly pulled him to the couch. Artemis followed mindlessly, this mouth continuing to deliver the cold, hard, facts.
"Myles and Beckett will become the heirs to the Fowl family fortunes. They will never have had an older brother. Artemis Fowl II, and his faithful bodyguard Butler, will never have been born."
Holly wrapped her arms around him. He was shaking, the reality of what would happen catching up on him. It sounded much worse when he said it out loud. It had looked unavoidable and logical in his mind. He was grateful for her support.
"I thought you were just going to erase the battle," Trouble said, still shocked at the revelation.
"I am too involved," he whispered, "seeing Artemis Fowl II so soon after the wipe was bound to cause a full re-account of the battles. Foaly did some calculations with Opal, we even had a test subject. There is no other way, I cannot return. Butler has sacrificed his identity to come with me, it was his choice and I couldn't change his mind."
Trouble stood frozen in place. "You want a… a home in Haven."
"Where else could I go?"
"I shall… not tell the Council until it is over. They cannot stop what already happened."
Holly glared at him.
You can do better than that Trubbs. She beamed in a glare at him.
Trouble gulped, "I will help you with the finding of a residence for Butler and yourself…" He said reluctantly.
"Thank you, Commander." Artemis whispered softly, "I cannot express the appreciation for the risks you are taking for this."
The Commander glared at Holly resentfully, "This better work, Fowl." He said, soft moment all gone. Trouble stalked off. "I am so fired from my job," he mumbled sadly as he walked away. Then he stopped, as he had no idea where he should have gone. Butler led him away to one of the many empty rooms at the manor. Trouble was literally blowing steam from his pointy ears as he thought about the promise he had given and scowled.
Fowl, underground. Fowl, never returning aboveground, never getting mind-wiped. Artemis Fowl, the former Public Enemy Number 1.
Artemis laid on the sofa, unable to move, his brilliant mind only focusing on one thing; Holly's comforting embrace as she watched the young genius struggling not to let the tear spill. He realized that the two days were all that he had left as Artemis Fowl, (former) criminal mastermind.
"You do no it's not a crime to cry?" Holly asked kindly but also sharply. She need Artemis Fowl as normal as possible for the plan. He was the mastermind behind this operation, the impossible wall that held up the group, but he was also a fifteen year old boy, and her friend. He shouldn't have to be so immune all the time. He was always hiding behind a solid barrier of un-meltable ice.
Artemis nodded, but he held his tears. He waited for the rush of emotions to pass, than blinked them in. He could not be weak.
Holly was exasperated with his attitude, which she could see. Right through his thin cover, the mud boy was about to lose it. For the first time, Artemis Fowl was scared of the future, because it wasn't something Opal or Turnball or money did. He could defeat their plans easily. What was making him scared was the fact that he could not outsmart himself, and that he did not want to outsmart himself. He was being a "good guy" and doing something good for everyone else for the first time. Not because he was bored, or because he was under a guilt-enhancing illness. Artemis Fowl was about to suffer a very large blow-but he could not avoid it because he was the one to deliver. He was going to do something that placed him at a disadvantage, and for the first time, he was in uncharted waters.
However, Holly was not very surprised that he was too proud to let his fears be known. For even if no one would know it later, he was a Fowl, after all.
Okay! Here's the second part of the promise that do need to do if you read my first author's note. (Which you did, admit it and pay up!)
REVIEW! Tell me what you want! I may change the plot according to the reviewer's wishes!
Oh, and be thankful, I could have held you to your word and said something like "Skip around the neighborhood five times while singing the alphabet wearing a duck suit." Hmm, that's not bad! I should remember that for a game of truth or dare. :D
