Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Rise of the Guardians or Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl had wanted more from Jack Frost, but it seemed that the winter spirit was far too childlike to grasp what Artemis had been searching for. Yes, he had a name and a motive now, but Artemis had little knowledge about his enemy's capabilities. Pitch Black had an army of these Nightmares, but it seemed as if he had little else to battle with. Artemis knew he was missing something, that an enemy strong enough to create fear in any magical being had to have more of an advantage than just numbers. Perhaps he was cunning enough to make it work in his favor or he had other skills that Artemis had yet to see. Either way, Artemis needed to be prepared for anything. He was not going to let this man harm himself or his family.

"This is just too much. I really thought we were alone, but it looks like even Mud Men have found a way to get magic!" Holly was commenting, still stuck on Jack's powers. She had seen the boy fly away, though Artemis knew he could do much more. The boy had seemed intent on annoying Artemis, throwing snow at him simply for amusement. Artemis had no time for games and snow would only leave his Armani suit wet in the end.

"No, I do not believe that to be the case. Jack Frost truly seemed to believe he was a spirit of some kind. Perhaps he was correct and we simply do not know enough about spirits to know what they are capable of." Artemis argued, thinking back to Jack's words.

"Either way, I need to get back to Haven and report what has happened. Do you think you can avoid a massive disaster for the rest of the day, Mud Boy?" Holly asked, watching Artemis nod.

"I shall do my best, Captain. Good luck and do your best to find any information you can on this man known as Pitch Black." he told her, walking inside with Butler. Artemis knew that he was still invisible to his family, but perhaps that was for the best at the moment. He did not want them involved in another battle like this one. Myles and Becket had gone through enough when the Berserkers had been released. Pitch Black could very well be capable of something similar, so he was going to keep them as far away from this enemy as possible.

Holly vanished, shielding as she used her electronic wings to take off into the sky back towards the chute underground. Artemis had other things to deal with, so he hid within his study like normal, while Butler watched the boy vanish. "They still cannot see me, old friend. It would be best to leave me be and pretend to be ignorant as well." he told his bodyguard. While Butler was a bit disappointed in Artemis' decision, he honored it and left Artemis alone in his study. Within, Artemis smiled and began practicing with his new trick, freezing time. He had discovered in on the spur of the moment, but he knew it would be useful in the future. Freezing anything in place would make him capable of stopping any enemy, though using this ability seemed to drain his energy rather quickly. He could not sustain it for long, especially if he focused on more than one object. Even with practice, the drain never lessened and Artemis began to realize that perhaps this should only be used as a last resort to save someone's life.

"Perhaps I should speak with Qwan about this." Artemis commented, grimacing at the new habit he seemed to have acquired after remaining unseen for nearly a month. He thought out loud now, something that he had done to fill the space of silence that he found himself surrounded in all the time. Even so, he did need the help of the warlock to better understand the time stream. Artemis did understand a bit, considering the fact that he had traveled through time and witnessed the paradox created by Opal Koboi, but more knowledge would only help him master his magic.

As he decided to stop for the night, a shadow seemed to creep within the room, darkening the lit computer screens that always displayed various parts of the manor under surveillance. Artemis frowned as he followed the shadow, watching it grow as a laugh echoed throughout the room. "This is your new chosen one? I can't believe that someone so young was given the ultimate power, control over time itself." a voice called out. Artemis still could not see the man's face, but he could easily deterring who was here.

"Pitch Black, I presume. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." he greeted, not forgetting civility even when facing potential danger. All Artemis had to do was shout and Butler would come rushing inside. For now, though, he would cooperate with Pitch and see just what he was after.

"Really? Not quite the reaction I'm used to, but I suppose it will do for now. Tell me, Father Time, just where do you stand in this war?" he asked, while Artemis kept his face blank and neutral. He had little knowledge of this war after all, the war that must be between Pitch Black and these Guardians Jack had mentioned. While he might dislike his new name, Artemis would tolerate it for now, preferring to remain anonymous for as long as possible. Perhaps his enemy would underestimate him, without knowledge of just who he was up against.

"I suppose I would call myself a neutral party, one willing to accept the highest offer if my assistance is required." he commented, smiling softly.

"Oh? And just what is it you want, Father Time? I can't imagine you have any need of more power, not when you have been given such a gift." Pitch questioned, still keeping his form hidden in the shadows. It was rather annoying, but Artemis knew he had to accept it and continue with his plan. Playing along was beginning to remind Artemis of his younger self, the version of him that had been far too obsessed with gold to consider the comfort of others. If he continued on this path, he would struggle to hold on to his new morals, but he needed to be on the inside to determine his enemy's plans.

"Aurum potestas est. My family motto, one I adhere to with a passion. For we are nothing without gold, Mr. Black, and gold is what gives us true power." Artemis stated, feeling cold inside. He had to freeze his emotions once more, cut himself off if he was going to succeed.

Pitch chuckled, the noise echoing around Artemis' study. "You seem to be a rather smart one, compared to the others I've met. I value that in an ally and when I value something, I will do anything to make it mine." he announced, his face suddenly appearing in front of Artemis. He recognized the face, the image he had constantly seen in his visions. Pitch Black was the enemy that could plunge this world into darkness, both above and below ground. If he wasn't careful, this man could cause disasters everywhere on the planet. It was why Artemis knew he had to trick this man, become a spy for the Guardians that seemed to be doing such a poor job of keeping an eye on the Nightmare King.

"Well, there is a reason I was known as a criminal mastermind in my last life." Artemis commented, watching Pitch grin in the darkness of his room.

"Criminal? Well, aren't you special. This is working out even better than I had hoped." Pitch commented, while Artemis simply stared back at him.

"As I said, my services are not free. If you wish to have my aid, you know what it is I want." Artemis said coldly, remaining calm as Pitch began to study him with a serious expression.

"Strange, I may know what you want but I cannot sense your fears. I always know people's fears, regardless of how small they may be." he whispered, walking around Artemis where he sat in his swivel chair. It took quite some effort for the boy to remain still and let Pitch stroke his hair as he walked by. He disliked this role immensely, but he was growing used to it the longer he played it. After all, he may have actually done something like this not too long ago.

"When you are aware of all possible futures, fear becomes irrelevant. I know what path to take to avoid making them a reality. Should one be a certain outcome regardless of my actions, it is pointless to fear the result in the end." Artemis said, watching his golden eyes blink in surprise.

"Marvelous! You truly are a brilliant child. I promise you, Father Time, you shall have all the gold in the world once I am done taking out the Guardians. Help me in this task and let us rid the world of their presence once and for all." Pitch said, holding out his hand as an offer.

Artemis paused for a moment, knowing that there would be no turning back after this moment. He had seen this meeting happening, and Artemis knew that there would be no avoiding it. Running would have left Pitch alone with his brothers, something Artemis would never allow. Now, he could refuse and stay here, making a permanent enemy of Pitch Black. If he accepted, Artemis had the chance to learn so much more about his new enemy. Perhaps it was time to take the old saying to heart and truly know his enemy before the battle. Keeping his face blank of emotion, Artemis stood up and shook Pitch's hand. "Then we have a deal, Mr. Black. Just know that if you fail to deliver, I will personally destroy you, regardless of what the Guardians desire." he threatened, watching the man's golden eyes gleam in the darkness.

"I would expect nothing less, friend. Let us be off, where we can discuss the weaknesses of the Guardians and bring fear to children all around the world." With that, Pitch grabbed Artemis' hand, pulling him out the window and onto a cloud of dark sand. They flew off, with Artemis glancing back at the fading manor, wondering how Butler would handle his disappearance once more.

Thank you for all the reviews and also to anyone new reading through this story! I appreciate the correction on my grammar, I try my best to follow the rules of grammar and spelling, but there are things that I miss, especially since most of my writing has been essays for school. I will keep that in mind as I keep writing this story and if I have time, I will go back and correct it in previous chapters. As always, feel free to leave me your thoughts in a review! If you notice something wrong (spelling, grammar, characterization, etc.), feel free to point it out, I won't be offended.