Hi there, it's me. I won't talk so much for a few reasons. 1) I've read the Last guardian. Those who've read it should know what I mean, so as not to give spoilers. I've given enough to my friends. 2) CA3 (that's continual assessment for those who don't know) is coming in 2 weeks or so. I can't get stuff in my head for some reason and so I'm spending more time on real research instead of this. I know I'm slacking. We all are. 3) I've got a snack waiting for me. And it's best served warm. 4) We all know how disclaimers work.
Chapter 7: Mission Impossible
Outside Opal's hideout
Holly watched as Opal laughed as she spoke to a screen, occasionally tickling or poking the younger Fowls mockingly. She watched amusingly as her look of glee melted into a pained expression and finally rage. She ended up screaming at the screen and kept banging her tiny fist on her table. Whatever made Opal this angry? she thought. But then again, it takes very little to get Opal frothing at the mouth.
Holly could already hear her frustrated squeals from outside. She was certain Opal would make a move. She flattened herself against the wall of the shuttle, close to the door. She waited for the pixie to come storming, and then she would sneak in and rescue Myles and Beckett from Opal...
Inside Opal's hideout
Descant was balancing the meal on the tray of food until Opal came out, her face unnaturally red, and her chest heaving rapidly. "Miss Koboi," he said, oblivious to his mistress's emotional state. "I was just preparing your meal. And did I tell you that-"
Opal did not notice and overturned the tray, food and drink falling on Descant, who ended his compliment in a squeal. She stormed out of the shuttle and screamed, long, loud and high-pitched. She did not scream in her lab as she knew very well that her shuttle window would shatter, along with test tubes and flasks containing her chemicals and substances. In her anger, she did not notice a particular female police officer at the door. She screamed and cursed and yelled her lungs out. As Holly silently entered the shuttle, several glasses shattered where they stood. Thank goodness her helmet acted as earmuffs, or her ears would be ringing. Even when the shuttle door slid close, Holly could faintly hear the pixie as she vented her anger into the air. She slid behind the counter as she saw the oncoming pixies.
"What did ya do bro?" Mervall asked his twin, shaking his head as his ears rang. He got a towel to help Descant clean his sweater.
"I really dunno," replied Descant as he gratefully accepted the towel. "I was about to compliment her on her boots but she turned the tray and spilled it all on me. Ya think it was the Fowls? Y'know, what with her hatin' Fowls and all? Cos I'm pretty certain it ain't me."
Mervall sighed as he glanced at the floor. Holly tucked her knee under her chin. Even with her shield, she did not want Mervall to see a foot sticking from the counter. Not that the shield helped.
"Well, she was negotiatin' with Fowl. Or his Mud maid. Whatever. She sure is worked up. You clean yourself up and I'll clear the kitchen. Hang on while I get a broom." With that, both Brills left the scene. Holly heaved a sigh of relief, although not too loud. She crept further up.
She came to a white room with the doors wide open. Opal probably wasn't expecting anyone. Holly crept in and looked around the spotless white lab with equipment and computers on the tables. There was one cage covered with black cloth, next to a bunch of wires, and it looked somewhat out of place. Holly steeled herself to take a look at it. It may be Myles and Beckett, she thought with a shiver. I hope they're alive.
Don't say hope. Say they are.
But can two Fowls actually stay alive in a room with Opal Koboi?
Her fingers hovered over the material, almost afraid to touch it, afraid to know what is underneath the cloth. You've seen worse, she told herself. Why are you so scared this time? It's just another recon, checking out situations. Why does it bother me so much?
Because I care for Myles and Beckett.
She closed her fist around the material and pulled it away and gasped almost immediately.
Myles and Beckett were alive, tied to the cage until movement was near impossible. They were both gagged and in a standing position, Beckett's head lolling as he was unconscious. Myles' eyes were wide with shock and relief. He pulled the rope on his wrists which allowed him some slack and tried shaking his head. Holly understood and loosened the bonds. She only loosened it but did not untie it. Myles stretched his hands out of the cage and feeling more relaxed. Holly dare not undo Beckett's bonds just yet. There were more urgent matters at hand.
"Okay Myles, any idea what is the quickest way to get out of a power-crazy pixie's shuttle?" Holly said. Myles tried nodding but could not exactly move his head in the direction he wanted to indicate to Holly. He glanced at his extreme right. Holly caught the look and raised her eyebrows.
"Really Myles? The window?" she said. Just after that, Holly heard something else coming from the entrance of the lab. Opal was back.
"Kill the Fowls, kill them," she spat as she stormed towards her lab. "Fowl has tested my patience, so I shall test his."
"The window, then," Holly muttered as she grabbed the cage and made a run for it. "Hold on tight."
Fowl Manor
Artemis was rebooting the system when Butler came in with Juliet's prey. "I heard some screaming," Artemis commented as he straightened from the wires under his table. "I assume that was Opal?"
Butler nodded. "It was," he said and raised the dead bird. "And guess what else Jules got?"
"Excellent. The one you killed got shot to pieces. No offense, old friend, but you did not know of it in the first place and neither did I, so I set myself something easier such as rebooting the system. Now just leave me alone with my intelligence and I will try to make sense from this."
"Do you need anything else?" Butler asked, placing the bed on Artemis's desk.
"A snack would be nice."
Butler nodded and headed to the kitchen. On the way he passed the living room, where Juliet was sitting at the porch with her head in her hands. Butler stopped and went over to Juliet. "Jules is there anything wrong?" he asked, placing a spade-like hand on his sister's skinny shoulder.
"Dom, I believe Artemis did know the dangers when he told me to buy some time for him?" she said. Butler felt a pang of fear.
Juliet passed him a piece of paper. Butler skimmed through it and dashed to Artemis's study, and it wasn't for his snack. Juliet put her face in her palms again, cursing Opal, who had made a move. She had sent a message to Artemis:
Fowl. I shall not tolerate any nonsense from you or your maid. I shall take it that you are not surrendering to me, Opal Koboi, future queen of the world. Having said this, I shall like to inform you that I shall carry out my threat and kill your brothers, a slow and painful death for both. This is war, Fowl. Expect worse to come.
Opal's hideout
"Send the note. Send it. I will do it. Kill the Fowls. Kill them. I have had it," Opal said after furiously scribbling the message and stormed up to her lab. "Since Artemis Fowl has tested my patience, I shall test his."
Descant was following Opal to assist in the execution when they heard the sound of breaking glass. Opal whirled on him, her face literally twisted with rage. "What was that?" she hissed, taking deep breaths, nostrils flaring.
They entered the lab and Opal slammed her fist on the nearest table with so much force that she nearly sent the equipment on her table flying. "Where are they?" she screamed. Her face was red and she was sweating. Her plan was crashing around her pointy ears, right in front of her. First the maid, then the hostage, and that gaping hole in the shuttle window. She ran over to the window and saw a figure in black with a cage on the ground. "Short," she seethed. She turned on Descant. "I thought you said Short was dead!"
"I... ah..." Descant started. Opal slapped him and screeched, "Get out. Get OUT!" Tears were flowing down her tomato red cheeks. "NOW!" Descant scrambled out, palm to cheek.
Opal grabbed a flask in her fury and hurled it at Captain Short. "Die Short!" she yelled. "Die!"
The impact shattered Holly's legs as Holly jumped from such a height. The twins were fine, traumatized but alive. It took a while for her magic to fix her, but then she heard someone call her name. She turned just in time to see a flask coming her way. It shattered against her helmet. "Thank goodness for the helmets," she muttered under her breath. She grabbed the cage and ran as soon as her magic fixed her up. If Opal had good aiming just by throwing, she would be deadly accurate behind a weapon. It didn't take someone like Holly to know she would be under fire. Myles tried to hold Beckett's hand for comfort. Whatever that was, it wasn't pleasant.
Obviously it did not take a flask to kill Holly Short, one of the hardest fairies to kill, but there were such things as warning shots. Instantly Opal got behind the control seat and activated the shuttle weapons. She chose the laser beam which could slice through just about anything, including elfin and human flesh.
Holly ran in a zigzag motion, running right a few paces, a step to the left and a few steps to the right again. The thing was, if Opal figured out a pattern, Holly would be dead and the twins followed suit. Opal shot and gritted her teeth in frustration and anger. Curse that elf for upsetting her plan, just when it got to the most vital step! "Darn you Short," she hissed.
Holly ran as fast as she could, as random as she could possibly be, and holding the cage as stable as possible. Get out of firing range, she thought.
Other than the beams itself, Holly had to dodge falling branches, trees and flying bits of earth. Holly was slightly pained. Opal might as well help the Mud People to clear the forest, and poison the seas while she's at it. Opal didn't seem to mind the destruction she was causing.
Holly disappeared behind a group of trees. There is no firing range, Holly thought bitterly. Might as well take a rest before starting up again. She held up two fingers as sparks appeared. Myles's eyes widened and tried to shake his head. "Chill, Myles," Holly said. "I'm only going to heal you."
Myles kept shaking his head, his left hand trying to break free. The elf helped untie his hands. In it was a nuclear battery, some wires and a fork, which was digging into his hand. Holly placed it on the ground, laid two fingers on the twins and willed them to heal.
Once done, Holly tried to find a way to get the twins out but there seemed to be no doors at all. Myles pointed to Holly's helmet and to the nuclear battery. "I can't, Myles," Holly sighed. "A whole chunk is gone." She took off her helmet and turned it around. "See?"
Myles grabbed the wires and worked with them and the nuclear battery. Holly glanced back. Opal had stopped. For the moment.
Opal had only noticed that her anti-detection device was gone when she actually looked at the screens. She scrambled back to make another one; she could kill Short later. "Descant! Mervall! We are changing location now!" she yelled.
How is it? Any OOCness? If so then I apologize and say I'm concentrating on biology. Anyone wants to know how the digestive system works? No? Good, because my snack is getting real cold and my brother are eyeing it.
