Author's Note : Hellow ! :D

GOODNESS ME that chapter was SO hard to write ! I just couldn't get it to be in a way that I liked, it was painful and complicated as hell to get every element straight. But last Sunday I finally managed to wrap it up, and, hopefully, it is as good as all the previous others :-) Personally I'm very happy with myself, regarding all the doubts I've been going through this past week ! I hope you'll like it too :-)

Huge thanks to KiaSunrise, LN and Pr. Cumulus for their reviews :-D Love you guys ! (PS : the Stan Ridgway reference was Holly saying ''I'm walking home alone''... it's my favourite song of his, along with ''Drive She Said'' ;-P)

As this chapter involves the Fairy Council for the most part, I've used the characters we know from the series (Cahartez, Lope and Vinyaya) and I've added four more members of my own creation, so there's a little bit more of political conflict there ^^ Feel free to tell me what you think about that !

Now on with the chapter :-3

Disclaimer : Eoin Colfer is the author of the Artemis Fowl series, therefore I do not own any of its characters. Many elements of this fanfiction (including its title ^^) are also inspired or directly drawn from the 1998 Japanese anime 'Serial Experiments Lain' (GO WATCH IT) even though it is NOT a crossover.

Author's Recommandation : I personally love writing and reading to music. If you're interested, I highly recommand listening to Neon Demon (main theme) by Cliff Martinez, from the eponymous movie by Nicolas Winding Refn (freakin aesthetical masterpiece if you ask me). This piece of music just really fits the mood of the fanfic !

Enjoy your reading ! :-)

Database #09 : Fatal Error System

HOLLY SHORT'S APARTMENT, HAVEN CITY

It was now about two hours since the fairy capital had been put into lockdown, and it didn't seem like the situation was getting any better.

That was from Holly's perspective, at least ; and Holly's perspective was a lot more foggy than she would have liked to – that statement being both literally and metaphorically speaking.

Literally, because her attempt at using her LEP buzzbaton on the circuit-breaker to turn her flat's power system back on had resulted into a small explosion in her living room. And metaphorically, because she was now a former Captain of the LEPrecon ; and thus she had no idea what was going on, and there was nothing she could do.

The elf just sat at her kitchen's table, her pointy ears droopy, ignoring the grey smoke coming from the living room, surrounding her. Fortunately, the fire-protection system was off, otherwise the entire floor and corridor would have been flushed under a shower of water. She stared down at the golden medallion, fidgeting with the brown leather string, absent-mindedly.

She had run all the way back to the LEP Headquarters with Artemis' minidisk, but when she had arrived, Commander Root was gone with two officers, and no one had been able to tell her where nor why. Apparently, out of the thousands of angry and disoriented citizens coming to the Police Plaza for answers, one had a plee that was urgent enough for the Commander to hear it and go see for himself.

But it was impossible for Holly to learn more. With the lockdown, communication was mostly back to written messages and carrier sprites, and the LEP Headquarters were in quite a mess, having never been confronted with the power cut before. Everyone was taking everything they could transport to the Frond Memorial, one of Haven's most prized historical monuments, where there was still some power on.

Holly could have tried to come along with her colleagues – after all, in the frenzy, Root hadn't taken her badge, and no one else, save from Foaly, knew that she was fired. But as she saw the panic in the eyes of Trouble Kelp, while he carried a crate full of Neutrinos, and the global atmosphere of underlying discomfort and terror at the Headquarters, among the officers, Holly just felt extremely tired, and walked away.

The LEP had never faced anything like this ; and the elf had no doubt that Artemis was pulling the strings in the shadows. Haven was not a safe place anymore.

She didn't know much about the Wired, but Holly's imagination did a very good job at picturing all the horrors the young Fowl could do now he had the entire city at his mercy, without even the LEP to stand up to him. The People had retired in the deepest of the Earth to be safe from the Mudmen, but now they were trapped like rats in their burrow.

Holly buried her face in her hands. How would she make any difference ? Artemis had always been way too clever for anyone's good, but now he was equally, if not more powerful than the fairies. And Holly's lame attempt at stopping him in Prague showed her how useless she was. And Selene…

Holly sighed, her heart tightening painfully. The poor girl. Whoever she actually was, Artemis had mind controlled her, and had been doing so for weeks. Why ? Why this girl ? And how ? Did the Wired gave him the ability to use an advanced fairy mesmer ? Did he have magical powers now ?

Usually, Holly would have laughed at such an hypothesis, worthy of Foaly's paranoia deliriums ; but now, she didn't know what she should – or could – believe or not.

Before, she might have tried to contact Artemis, to talk him out of whatever horrendous scheme he had started against her kind. But he didn't remember her. She had the minidisk, which contained a copy of his fairies-related documents, she had zero doubt about that ; but with the lockdown, she couldn't even check it on her laptop, and anyway, how would she even get to the surface ? All traffic in and out of Haven was shut down, and she wasn't a LEP officer anymore.

She had to acknowledge it. Artemis was unreachable. The battle had barely began yet ; but the People had already lost.

This is where Holly was in her depressed elucubrations, when someone knocked energically at her door.

At first, she didn't react. Whoever that was, there was nothing she could do anymore to help. But the knocking intensified. Holly turned her head to the door, unable to restraint a small hint of hope from growing in her sad eyes. Yet the possibility that Root would give her a second chance was so slim…

" Holly, for Frond's sake ! Are you opening this door or do I need to come inside and smash it with your face ? "

That was Trouble Kelp's voice.

" Commander Root came at the Frond Memorial, and he sent me to get you ", Trouble explained through the wooden door. " And, he told me that he told you something he shouldn't have told you, and he also told me to tell you that the thing he told you before and shouldn't have told you, er… you can tell as if he didn't tell you at all. "

Within a second, Holly was at the door, and before he could speak she drew Captain Kelp in a tight, warm hug. The elf stood still, unsure how to react to his colleague's unusual display of affection ; but when he distinctly heard one of his ribcage's bones crackle, he eventually managed to puff a few words.

" Er, Holly… You're… I can't really breathe… "

" Oh, sorry. "

Holly let him go, the tip of her ears a little bit blushed. Trouble hesitated, but quickly regained his composure.

" Erm… Okay. Well, I don't know what Root told you in the first place, but he told me to hurry. We don't have much time to reach the Memorial before the special emergency Council session starts. Root wants you to testify. "

Holly was already starting to gather some important stuff – including, of course, the medallion –, but she stopped dead in her tracks.

" … an emergency session ? But… why me ? What have I done ? " she asked, dumbfounded.

Trouble's gaze was extremely serious, and sad somehow – as if he couldn't believe what he had to say.

" Not you. Foaly. He has been arrested. And they have declared a War Council. "

FROND MEMORIAL, HAVEN-CITY

The Frond Memorial was Haven-City's most ancient historical monument, as it had been built only two years after the People's exile below ground, as a symbol of the fairies' union against adversity, and to commemorate the Frond dynasty.

It was a massive construction of large white stones, carved with ancient runes, each side of the octogonal building representing one of the eight fairy families and their history. Inside, there was a small entrance hall, where the tourists could leave their offerings on a golden altar and take selfies in front of the massive King Frond statue. Then, there was the Frond Kings' Mausoleum, where the LEP had established their temporary quarters, and the Statues Room, where it had been decided the War Council would take place.

By the time Holly and Trouble arrived, the Mausoleum was filled with LEP officers. They sat or stood unusually still and quiet, their worried whispers echoing on the massive walls. The atmosphere was a strange mixture of apprehension and frightened numbness ; as it can be when you're alone in the dark, and you can feel an unseen, dangerous presence behind you. Surrounding you, slowly. Amongst the officers, Grub Kelp, sitting next to a stack of crates, was ostensibly sniffling, raising disapprobating glares around him.

Trouble quickly joined his little brother, and as Holly started to follow him, she noticed Root, standing at the entrance door of the Statues Room. He looked around, and, with a silent nod, indicated her to come with him.

Holly crossed the room discreetly, and followed the Commander into the Statues Room. Usually, when one enters the large circular hall, the holographic projection system triggers an animation of the ten kings and queens, making them descend their marble altars and engage into a traditional royal dance. But it seemed like the system had been disabled – probably so the electricity could be diverted to power the LEP machines in the Mausoleum –, and the huge stone statues remained cold and still.

The majority of the Fairy Council was here, installed on makeshift chairs under Jen and Kira Frond's statues. They were discussing, and didn't pay attention to the two newcomers. Root went to stand next to the San D'Klass statue, facing the Council, and Holly stopped a few respectful steps behind him. She knew the situation was more than dire, but she couldn't help herself.

" Thank you, Commander. Thank you ", she whispered.

Root didn't respond, but she saw the weight on his shoulders wearing off a little.

" Don't thank me yet, officer ", he replied, also whispering. " The Fairy Council is really upset, and that is quite the euphemism. The situation is completely unprecedented, and Foaly's time as a free fairy is definitely over. Even with my political relations, I don't know if I'll be able to save him from exile… and to be frank, I don't know if I really should. "

Root turned around, facing Holly.

" Can I trust you, Captain Short ? Can I really trust you ? "

Holly didn't blink, sustaining the Commander's inquisitive look.

" You can, sir. You have my word as a fairy and a LEP officer. "

Root stood still, and sighed. Holly was scared to see his face merely rosy. He looked tired, and confused, and the elfin Captain could guess why. Trouble had explained her everything, on the way from her apartment to the Frond Memorial. Everything Foaly had done. And even though she couldn't quite grasp how exactly, she knew very well who was really behind it.

" I know what Foaly is accused of ", Holly said. " But I also know that he is innocent. "

Root hesitated.

" Well, I can't help myself thinking he is ", he eventually answered, " but the evidence against him are crippling. Even the last things he said, before the lockdown… "

Holly remembered far too well.

" You don't understand. You're a moron. It's already too late. I've compromised everything already… "

The elf muttered insults internally. That stupid centaur. Maybe he had just digged his own grave. And once again, she had to fix his mistakes. Or try to.

" Commander. I can't pretend I know everything about Foaly's motivations these past hours, especially with the DNA cannons thing ", she replied. " But I have strong reasons to believe he has been set up, and I also have a suspect. "

And she told Root everything : the real reason for Foaly's stroke a few days ago, Selene, Prague, Artemis. And the Wired – or at least, what she knew about it.

When Holly was finished, Root's face looked like a ripe tomato that was about to explode. It took him a few minutes to cool down enough in order to be able to utter words.

" That donkey. That D'Arviting donkey. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to feed him with his Frond-forsakened hooves. Why didn't he tell me all this ? "

Holly wanted to say that, maybe, Foaly feared that Root would react exactly like this, but at the same moment, Cahartez entered the Statues Room, readjusting his official conical hat. A few officers had gathered near the entrance door, trying to see what was happening.

" Sorry, sorry ! " said Cahartez, panting heavily. " Oh my, walking on foot is exhausting ! "

As the Chairman seated, all the other Council members put their conical hats on ; and everyone suddenly became dead serious. Cahartez was the only one to wear the official hat on a regular basis. If the six other members did, then the situation was really, really critical. Then, the large door between the Mausoleum and the Statues Room was sealed shut, and Holly and Root exchanged a worried look.

Even if it wasn't a trial, there might still be a chance to save Foaly from total discredit and exile – but the chance was extremely slim. Within the seven Council members, they only had few allies : Cahartez, Lope and Vinyaya were on Root's side ; but Kall was a brute, Hamon a useless newbie, and Gabion, the leader of the Ecolopacifist party, was one of Cahartez's deadliest political opponent. As for Markos, he usually never took part in the debates. And with what the centaur was accused of, even Root's allies didn't seem to be very inclined in their favor.

" Fairies ", Cahartez began, even more pompous than usual. " We are reunited here today in a special session, as Haven-City's War Council. The lockdown procedure has been initiated without our approval by the centaur Foaly ; and he has taken advantage of the situation to hack into the LEP servers and put the city's set of DNA cannons under his control. Fortunately, he has been stopped before activating them ; but it's a possibility that the lockdown procedure wasn't interlocked just to cover his terrible misdeeds. Maybe we have been discovered, maybe it's a siege. As for now, we don't know. Foaly hasn't been able to cancel the procedure, and he is still refusing to talk. "

" Where is he now ? " asked Lope.

" After his successful arrest by Commander Root, Foaly is held at the LEP Headquarters under heavy surveillance. As we speak, he is accused of betrayal of the People and attempted genocide. … He has pled guilty. "

Cahartez put his notes down, and hesitated.

" This is all the information we have. "

That wasn't totally true. About half an hour ago, as he was leaving his patio, Cahartez's digital tablet had suddenly switched back on. For a few seconds, he had hoped that the lockdown had been lifted ; but then, he had received an anonymous email. And the attached file was extremely, extremely preoccupying.

The Chairman doubted, for a little moment. The leaked document seemed truly genuine – and if it was, well… the centaur was lucky that the fairy justice had abolished the death penalty.

But Cahartez had decided it was not the time to disclose the document yet. Foaly wasn't the real important matter for the moment. They weren't to decide how much guilty he exactly was, but how they could fix the trail of catastrophies he had left behind him, before it was too late.

And, with a little bit of luck, the Wired wouldn't have anything to do with it.

" Foaly has been interrogated, but he appears to be in an unstable mental state ", the gnome eventually said. " Despite that, we must figure out the ins and outs of this situation. The safety and the peace of our home might very well be at stake. Julius Root, Commander of the LEPrecon, I command you to step forward and answer for your employee's actions for him. You might bring along the witness you wanted to introduce. "

Root turned to Holly, and she bit her lower lip. Together, they stepped out of the comforting shadow of San D'Klass' statue, and went to stand in front of the Fairy Council.

Kall, one of the Council's permanent members, a former Commander with old-fashioned ideas and a patent hatred of Root's methods, sighed loudly.

" Seriously ? Your female officer again ? "

Holly clenched her fists, but managed to remain calm. Foaly needed all the support he could get, and she certainly wouldn't help him by discrediting herself even before she got a chance to speak.

Vinyaya, without adressing Kall's last remark, turned towards Root.

" We have been beating around the bush for enough time now, so here's my question. Why did Foaly initiate Haven's lockdown procedure ? Have we been hooked ? "

Holly swallowed, and took a step forward. She could feel the gaze of the most powerful politicians of Haven upon her, and she started sweating.

" If I may, I'm going to answer your question. "

Vinyaya, Cahartez and Lope nodded gently. Kall and Gabion frowned at her meanly, and Hamon, the youngest and newest Council member, crossed his arms on his lap, his right hand's fingers tapping on his elbow in an ostensibly unconvinced manner. As for Markos, the representant of the warlocks, he was the Elder of the Fairy Council – he had been a member since King Frond the third, one and a half millenary ago. The pixie was so old he always looked like he was sleeping, and had never spoken during a public meeting in about seven hundred years.

Holly swallowed, and mustered her courage.

" A few days ago, Foaly has detected a breach in one of his security systems. The breach was provoked by a young Czech hacker, named Selene. Foaly tried to neutralize her, alone then with my help. Unsuccessfully. "

She had spoken carefully, but it was as if she had dropped a bomb. The sound of her dreadful words echoed on the cold walls, and everyone was baffled, completely horrified.

The fairies' worst nightmare had come true. Not only had they been discovered by a human ; but somehow, this human had managed to sneak inside their best IT engineer's securized system.

Cahartez now had a better idea as to who the anonymous email sender was. It only made him even more terrified.

Eventually, after a long, hollow silence, Lope spoke hesitantly.

" If you're telling the truth, Captain Short, then this might be a very important clue as to why Foaly initiated Haven's lockdown. Yet, there is one essential question yet unanswered : why didn't he tell the Fairy Council immediately ?

I wish he had, Holly thought to herself. Everything would have been a lot easier.

" Foaly was a key element of the LEP, and he was perfectly aware of it. He feared that if some elements of the… thing his security system protected were to be revealed, the Fairy Council would have no other choice but to have him dismissed from his functions, or even exiled. "

Holly grimaced. That was a little too late for that. But if she managed to convince the Council of how much they needed Foaly's help, if they wanted to fight Artemis, maybe there would be a little bit of a chance to win left.

But first, she had to tell them about the Wired, hope she'd be able to explain how it worked… and pray that they wouldn't get too mad.

" The supersecurity that Selene hacked didn't protect any regular LEP system. Foaly called it… the Wired. "

Simply saying the word out loud made her shiver. In fact, she spat it out as if it was a living tarantula that had made its way in her mouth. Holly couldn't find any legit reason as to why she felt like that ; but the word just seemed to emanate a poisonous, vivid sense of danger and desolation. As if it contained all the conflicts and wars of the Earth's history.

Holly felt a little bit ridiculous at her emphasis – after all, it was just a word.

But when she looked around her, she realized she wasn't the only one to be affected.

Root, and most of the Council members had instinctively cringed like frightened animals. But some, she noticed, had on the contrary a creepy glow in their eyes. They looked… interested. Kall was one of these. Vinyaya also was.

There was only one person who was neither scared or inexplicably attracted.

That person was Markos.

For a few seconds, his usually half-closed eyes remained wide open, his old, wrinkled face frozen in an astonished expression. But then, his features gently slipped back to their usual impassive look.

His voice was a lot less impassive, though.

" What did you just say, elf ? "

Markos' deep and threatening voice broke the spell that had fallen upon the room, and everyone blinked, confused. Holly lowered her head like an ashamed little girl. She was used to Commander Root's abrupt way of speaking, but Markos definitely carried a different kind of authority. He joined his hands on his lap, and spoke, in the same quiet yet extremely intimidating tone.

" We had summoned him by the law of Frond to cease his experiments ; and he swore on his Book of the People that this monstruosity was destroyed, done and over with. "

Holly frowned.

Wait, what ? He didn't tell me about that !

She wasn't the only one to be lost. Hamon raised his hand, a confused expression on his face.

" Pardon me, Elder, but… what are you talking about ? "

The warlock rolled his eyes. In the process, he looked like an exasperated owl.

" It's true that you weren't a Council member yet when all this happened. The Wired is one of Foaly's discoveries. If I recall his explanations properly, we are talking about a digital network with magical properties – for example, the ability to access completely unlimited information about anything. But the Wired actually came to our knowledge when Foaly "accidentally" delayed the creation of the human Internet of a few decades. "

" Fifty years, exactly, Elder ", Gabion added with venom in his voice, his gaze murderous.

Hamon's eyes widened in stupor.

" Fift… what ?! …This can't be serious ! How in the world has the Fairy Council allowed this illuminated centaur to wander around with such an horrendous power in his hands ?! "

Markos sighed – and somehow, the sound was terrifying. Like the howling of the wind in a rusty-hinged cemetery gate.

" Of course we haven't allowed him, you ignorant upstart. When Foaly presented us with the Wired, we imposed him to stop using it at once, and delete it. He swore on his Book to do so. That was eighty years ago. "

Save for Hamon, who looked extremely embarrassed, all of the Council members nodded severely.

Even Lope and Vinyaya's gazes were exempt of any comprehension or mercy. Root, on the other hand, was utterly speechless, and kept on staring alternatively at Markos and Holly's faces, hoping they would somehow explain that this was all a big joke.

But Markos wasn't renowned for his joking talents, and seemed more serious than ever ; and as for Holly herself, she just stared down the floor, her eyes burning, an acrid taste down her throat.

Foaly had lied to her. He had pretended that the Council didn't know about the Wired ; and he had also very well omitted to tell her that he had discovered it almost a century ago.

Holly felt betrayed, and humiliated. She had tried to defend her friend, and after she had first gotten fired because of him, she had now made a fool of herself in front of the entire Fairy Council.

On the other hand, she could very well understand why he had hidden the truth from her.

Lying to the Fairy Council, and breaking an oath on the Book of the People, wasn't even a mere crime anymore. It was straightforward high treason and blasphemy.

Foaly was finished. His reputation, broken. His chances to save them all, shattered to pieces. As soon as the lockdown would be deactivated, it was only a matter of minutes before he would be put in a shuttle for Atlantis' Deeps Maximum Security Prison. Maybe she would never see him again.

She had to stop this.

" Please, Fairy Council, hear my plee ", she said desperately. " Foaly has made terrible mistakes, but he has always been a loyal member of the fairy community. We need his help, now more than ever. "

Kall pounded his chair's armrest with his fist. For a brief second, Holly wondered if angrily pounding on the furniture was a required competence to become a LEP Commander. It was probably her nerves, making her having such thoughts at a time like this.

" This female has just admitted, a few minutes ago, that she was the centaur's accomplice during the Prague disaster ", he retorted contemptuously. " She was aware that a Mudgirl had discovered us, and she hasn't referred to anyone. I can't see how anything she has to say might be considered relevant, nor how we aren't having her arrested immediately ! "

Holly tried to figure a way to answer Kall that wouldn't consist in punching this scornful smile off his face, but she was surprised to see Root move forward.

" Holly Short isn't a female, she is a LEP Captain, you retarded troll ! " he said menacingly. " She's one of our most valuable officers, and the Council has agreed for her presence as a witness. She has a testimony, so she testifies, period ! "

Holly's heart warmed up. Gabion, on the other hand, stood up, completely outraged.

" How dare you address a Council member like this ?! "

" I dare because I'm the Commander of the LEPrecon, and no one disrespects my soldiers, " Root replied firmly, without flinching a second.

Kall laughed.

" Oh, what a noble, chivalrous gentleman ! Just face it, Julius ! You're completely discredited. You can't control your own employees, they lie to your own face… Has Foaly even told you about the Wired ? I don't think so. "

" That's enough, Kall ! " intervened Vinyaya before Root could do anything irreparable to the former Commander's physical well-being. " This is childish. Our city is threatened by a malevolent Mudhacker, so you might want to deal with your testosterone level later. "

" Raine is right about that ", Lope said. " Foaly is behind bars right now, we can deal with him afterwards. The Mudgirl is the real emergency. "

" Oh, and on what account would you decide what's the emergency and what's not ? " Gabion asked in a falsely polite tone. " Kall wasn't talking about Foaly. If we are to face a human siege, how are we supposed to trust a Commander who can't control his own troops… or his DNA cannons ? "

" Come on, this isn't about politics anymore ! " Cahartez exclaimed, trying to regain control of the situation. " We have discussed this a thousand times before. Your party disapproves the cannons, if we hadn't had them Haven would be ruled by the B'wa Kell by now, end of conversation. "

" This is an abuse of power ", Hamon cut vividly.

" What abuse ? I'm the Chairman, you weakling idiot ! "

" Me, an idiot ? Have you seen your face with this stupid hat ? "

" For Frond's sake, how old are you Hamon ?! "

Holly started to feel nauseous.

The Fairy Council was a bunch of power-craving politicians or useless do-gooders. As they started shouting more and more loudly at each other, she drew the minidisk out of her LEP suit's front pocket. She kept it in her hand, her mind wandering, escaping the absurdity of the situation.

There was so much at stake. Their freedom. Their lives, maybe. In the hands of fools. That couldn't be. She musn't let that be.

" Artemis Fowl. "

Suddenly, the room silenced, as if the name of the Irish Mudboy carried some magical power. The Fairy Council despised him and couldn't manage to take him seriously ; but despite his young age, and over almost two years, he had been public enemy number one, and the only human one faced by the People over quite some number of decades. Even if he wasn't considered a threat anymore, that was one thing all the Council members had in common : the fear that this little monster would come back.

Holly clenched her fist upon the minidisk. She now had the Council's full attention.

" During the Prague expedition, I've discovered that Selene was only a pawn. Artemis is the real mastermind behind all of this. Somehow… he has discovered the Wired. "

Cahartez thought back to the anonymous email, and felt an ice-cold sweat run down his spine.

After a long silence, Markos raised his voice.

" This can't be. The boy has been mindwiped. "

" And after that, he's been under close LEP surveillance ", added Vinyaya. " If he had done anything, we would have noticed. "

" That's impossible he's done anything. "

" No human has ever come back after a mindwipe. "

The Council members were back into talking pointlessly. Holly couldn't believe it. She felt like screaming her lungs out. She knew there were some truths, you were too scared to hear ; but they had to do something. They had to believe her. But she didn't know how to force them.

And then, a cold, dark voice, speaking Gnommish with an Irish accent, rose up from behind her, echoing on the walls and ceiling of the Statues Room.

" Pardon me for the interruption… "

Holly and Root jumped, taking hurried steps away from the San D'Klass statue. The Council members bolted out of their chairs, their horrified eyes turned towards the darkness below the Frond King sculpture, where the voice came from. Come on. They had just dreamed that, right ?

But then, slowly, Artemis Fowl himself walked out of the shadows, a complacent, delighted smirk on his face, more evil-looking than ever.

" … but it seems like you were talking about me. "

ARTEMIS' OFFICE, FOWL MANOR

Of course, Artemis wasn't really in the Frond Memorial.

He could have been, if he had wanted to : now he was in complete control of Haven, diverting a private shuttle would be child's play – just as activating the DNA cannons ; or hacking into the city's main core's nuclear battery. Or many other things of the same caliber, which would erase Haven City and its inhabitants from the underground map in the same amount of time it would take the young Fowl to write the instructions on his keyboard.

But Artemis didn't want to annihilate the fairy civilization – he wanted to make them suffer. To humiliate them, deeply. To allow them to clung onto the belief that there was hope left, and take it away from them, bit by bit, until they realized who was really in power. And then, ultimately, to force them to submit to his absolute superiority.

He had already done that with Foaly. Now, it was time for the Fairy Council to understand that they shouldn't have underestimated him.

Artemis shifted position in his seat, grabbing a crystal glass on his desk in the process. He swallowed a mouthful of painkillers, and took a few sips of spring water. His migraine wore off – slightly.

He had followed the entire War Council's deliberations with the Memorial's security cameras system – and as predicted, Cahartez hadn't exposed the leaked document Artemis had sent him. But that didn't matter : Captain Short did an excellent job at revealing Foaly's involvement with the Wired, in the worst way possible. The fairy law was sealed with spells and magic : even if they wanted to, the Council wouldn't be able to erase the fact that Foaly was guilty of high treason.

The centaur wouldn't be a bother anymore. Ever.

Then, Artemis waited patiently for his name to come up.

And when it did, just as planned, he infiltrated and activated the room's holographic projection system.

The effect was even more breath-taking than he had wished for. Lope screamed, Julius Root looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack, Cahartez's conical hat fell from his bold skull and Hamon had straightforwardly fainted. As for everyone else, they were utterly horrified. Artemis laughed, overwhelmed by a feeling of sheer jubilation.

That was memorable indeed.

As programmed, after its spectacular entrance, the hologram stood patiently, waiting for the fairies' predictable first reaction. Almost immediately, once the initial shock had dissipated, Kall, Root, Vinyaya and Short pulled out their personal blasters or Neutrinos, and shot at Artemis' projection in an almost perfect ensemble. How lovely.

But of course, the hologram merely bugged, the laser beams going through it as if it was made of thin air ; and finally, the fairies understood the trick. Before they could completely process it, the digital Artemis raised its arms, as if asking for a respectful silence. At the same time, in his office, the real Artemis started typing, without even looking at the keyboard.

The hologram snapped its fingers. Holly and Root immediately raised their Neutrinos again, ready to shoot. For a split second, the young Fowl's pixellized body Glitched, and nothing seemed to happen.

But then, the two LEP officers dropped their blasters on the ground. Just as the seven Council members, they staggered, inhaling loudly, their hands reaching for their throats.

Grasping for air.

As Markos and Cahartez, the oldest fairies in the room, started to fall on their knees, panting heavily, the digital Artemis inspected his perfectly manicured nails, as if completely unconcerned with the situation. But above ground, in Ireland, the young boy was exulting.

He literally had the most powerful and influent fairy politicians at his feet.

Her face distorted by terror and pain, Captain Holly Short crawled, her legs shaking, trying to reach her Neutrino, which laid on the ground a few steps away. Both real and digital Artemis rolled their eyes, and shook their head amusingly.

" While you are wasting precious seconds in trying to resist me ", the hologram said, " you should know that Haven-City is depressurizing. Slowly. "

Captain Short stopped dead in her tracks. Thanks to the hollow silence that followed Artemis' sentence, everyone could now hear the painful groans and inarticulate scared sounds coming from the Mausoleum room, where there was almost the entire LEP staff.

Artemis typed on his keyboard, and his digital double raised its right hand. With a little, almost violent Glitch, another smaller hologram materialized, hovering above Artemis' palm : Haven-City's manometer. The pressure gauge, usually indicating one thousand hectopascals, now was at seven and fifty hundred.

" According to my estimations ", the hologram stated, " you have about thirty hours left before the diseased start to fall in respiratory distress ; and a bit less than double before you are all dead. "

Artemis allowed his digital self to give his hostages a scathing, vampiric grin.

" You might leverage this timeframe, by fulfilling a… command for me. That might incite me towards more leniency… that might. "

Artemis took a sip of spring water as if he was eating popcorn at a movie theater, hoping for a potential reaction. But it seemed like the fairies were too astonished – and literally breathless – to speak.

A little bit disappointing, but after all, he was far from being finished with them. Everything was only going to get funnier.

The hologram snapped his fingers again, and seven little beeps echoed in an almost lightly fashion, in the Council members' official costumes' pockets.

" You'll find all the sketches and the final design on your digital tablets ", the hologram explained. " Put a great attention to the scaling. You have the Koboi Laboratories' 3D assembly line at your disposal ; I'll contact you back as soon as you're finished. But let me give you a friendly advice : you should hurry… it is going to take a while. "

All seven Council members, still panting, exchanged a frightened, undecided look. Eventually, Gabion pulled out his tablet, and opened the e-mail Artemis had just sent them.

His eyes widened as he discovered the plans, and he almost choked himself when he read the scaling indications. Astounded, he gazed alternatively into his tablet, then to the smirking hologram. Despite the lack of oxygen, the pixie managed to utter an incredulous, pleading question.

" … This is a joke, right ? "

Suddenly, the hologram ceased smiling, and the atmosphere seemed to grow even colder. The digital Fowl stared deeply into each fairy's eyes, its pale lips twisted in loathing and wickedness. When it spoke, its ruthless, ferocious expression Glitched hazardingly, making all the nine fairies before him cringe in fear.

" You wanted me to forget your existence ", the hologram said. " Well, let me assure you… "

Artemis typed the final words, an insane glow in his icy blue eyes.

" … you will remember me. "

.

Angeline was sitting in the music room.

She wasn't playing music ; in fact, she wasn't even at the piano. She was on the floor, her forehead on the bay window, staring down at the garden without seeing it.

She wouldn't be able to tell for how long she had been there, lost in her thoughts, unable to move. It felt like she was sinking in the soundproof carpet, slowly ; soon, she would be swallowed. Would she fall then, and crush on the large table of the dining room, in the first floor ?

Angeline's eyes flickered, her eyelids heavy. That was exactly how her depression had started, about four years ago. She knew it perfectly. But the cold glass of the bay window against her forehead numbed her mind, enveloping her pain and her feelings in a soft, clouded torpor.

It felt. Neither good, nor bad ; it just felt. That was nice.

" Mrs Fowl ? "

It took Angeline a few minutes to emerge from her lethargy. She turned her head towards the door, and met Butler's gaze. He was a true professional, and nothing in his tone or expression indicated how he felt about seeing the Fowl lady slumped on the music room's carpet like a ragdoll.

" Artemis has left his office ", the manservant said.

Angeline's heart missed a beat. Artemis has left his office. It sounded so much like something the Major would have said, some years earlier.

The more time passed, the more Artemis became like his father… but not exactly the version of Artemis Senior that Angeline would have wanted. And it just broke her heart to realize that she and her husband were the only ones to blame for that.

Artemis Senior had fed his son with the Fowl family values, taught him that gold and business were all that mattered, that sensibility was nothing but a weakness. Angeline had tried to temper that, to encourage the little boy's interest in the arts, to give him a sense of justice and generosity ; but when her husband had gone missing, she had completely collapsed. She had abandoned her son, forcing him to take over responsabilities far beyond his age.

But maybe she might still fix her parental failure. That's what Lilia, the strange Czech orphan, had told her, encouraging her to reach out to Artemis and keep him from whatever he was planning.

Angeline felt like it was too late. But she had to try.

" Could you ask him to come here, please ? Tell him I want to see him. "

The bodyguard nodded, and left. Angeline didn't move. She tried to stand up, but her body was so heavy, and everything seemed so pointless. Artemis could read through her like an open book – pretending that she wasn't hurt by his behaviour, his secrecy and the distance he had installed between them would be an insult to his intelligence. She wasn't strong. Then so be it.

" Mother. I am here. "

Angeline smiled. She had feared that he would just stand by the threshold, cold and business-like like he had started to be constantly these past months ; but Artemis had spoken softly, and he had crossed the room to squat down beside her. He looked exhausted, but satisfied.

" I'm sorry ", Angeline said quietly. " I must look terrible right now. "

" Well, so do I, I imagine ", Artemis replied.

" You look truly awful, but I see you're pleased with yourself. What have you been doing ? "

Artemis' gaze hardened. Angeline sighed.

" You can't tell me, I guess… Because you fear my reaction, or because you don't want to hurt me ? "

Artemis hesitated.

" A little bit of both. "

With a huge, enormous effort, Angeline managed to raise her hand, and replaced a hair strand behind the young boy's ear, caringly.

I'm your mother, but when we speak, you sound like an adult talking to a child. It frightens me.

Artemis didn't respond to her gesture. His face was unreadable. Angeline felt so heavy, she wondered how she hadn't been swallowed by the carpet yet.

There was absolutely nothing she could do. Except, maybe, try to understand.

" Artemis. Can you do just one thing for me ? Answer me honestly when I ask you a question. Truly honestly. "

Any hint of satisfaction had disappeared from the young Fowl's face. He just looked sick and tired. But Angeline saw that he would obey.

" How are you feeling right now ? " his mother asked.

" Sad. "

" Why ? "

" Because you are. "

" I'm sad become I'm powerless. It's the worst thing a parent can be. "

Artemis nodded, absent-mindedly. The mention of power seemed to trouble him, somehow. Angeline replaced another rebellious raven black hair strand, catching her son's attention again. She spoke, softly.

" What have you done ? "

Artemis looked down, hesitating. But Angeline was right : she was powerless, and he was all powerful. There was nothing she could do to stop him, and it would hurt her less to know what he was up to, instead of being kept in the shadow. So he answered.

" For the past two years, I've been deceived and betrayed by a group of people. They have used and humiliated me. But I have unfolded their treachery, along with … a tool, let's say. A digital tool. I might say it is extremely powerful, but that would be highly euphemistic. I learned how to master it, and even though it comes with a price, I'm turning their technology against them. I've decided to avenge myself. I make them pay, individually, for each of their offenses. I break them, the same way they tried to break me. And the more I do so, the more powerful I grow. Soon, I'll be totally unstoppable. And then, I'll crush them. "

Angeline felt a huge, painful hole in her heart. The more he spoke, the more Artemis' face distorted with sadistic hatred and paranoia. Angeline could see the insanity lurking in his wide, destroyed eyes. She could see how he was completely intoxicated with power.

That wasn't Artemis. That was a complete stranger. A despicable person.

But the young woman reached both her arms to him, and drew him into a fearful, but loving embrace. For that monstruous, crazy person was her son.

At first, the young boy tightened his muscles, but eventually, he let go, and took his mother into his arms, allowing her to ran her hand down his hair, and gently kiss him on the forehead as if she was comforting a scared child. She had done that before, a few years ago, and Artemis knew she needed it – to reassure herself.

" Seeking revenge is vain, honey ", Angeline whispered softly. " Don't let a pride wound take the better of you… you're so much smarter than that. You are just going to hurt yourself, along with those people. No one will be victorious. "

Artemis shook his head comprehensively.

" I know you're saying that because you want to protect me, but you don't understand, mother. I won't be able to find rest until I'm done with them. I'm not taking any more risks than necessary, and I know exactly what I'm doing. The sooner my revenge is completed, the sooner we'll be able to go back to our regular lives. "

" Do you even know what a regular life is ? " Angeline said with a joyless chuckle. " You really cannot see how the use of this so-called tool is deteriorating your mental state. "

Artemis backed away, so he could look at his mother in the eyes.

" Are you the one patronizing me about sanity ? " he said.

His tone was even, but it only made his remark more brutal. Angeline smiled warmly. Her eyes were shining, but her cheeks were covered in tears.

" Yes, I am. You see, I know what I'm talking about. "

Artemis hesitated, for a brief second. Then, he snuggled out of his mother's hug, and stood up.

" You shouldn't stay alone, mother. Why don't you spend some time with Lilia ? She likes music. I'm sure she would love to watch you play. "

The young Fowl didn't even wait for Angeline to answer. He just turned around, and left. That was enough energy wasted. Now, he needed to use the time he had given the fairies to rest and prepare for his next intervention.

In the corridor, he met Butler and Selene. Apparently, they had been standing there during his whole conversation with his mother. Deep within, Artemis didn't mind – he couldn't blame them for being worried about him. But why wouldn't anyone just give him a break, and trust him ? He controlled the situation perfectly.

Artemis stopped to face the ungainly duet, staring at them alternatively.

" My mother is again displaying alarming symptoms of depression ", he said. " Selene, have her under a careful watch. I don't want her to hurt herself. As for you, Butler, call the Black Edelweiss and sign her in. I want her gone by tomorrow at the latest. "

Butler was so shocked it took him a few seconds to process the information – and by then, Artemis had already left downstairs, probably to go lock himself in his bedroom.

The Black Edelweiss was one of the finest mental institution in Switzerland. During the years when Angeline had been crippled with severe bipolar disorder, the Swiss asylum's name had been looming above the Manor, but never pronounced. Artemis had never resigned himself to have his mother signed in. Because he needed her by his side, but also because he would have ended up taken away by the Irish social services, as his father wasn't around at that time.

It seemed like the young boy didn't need or want Angeline around anymore – yet Butler couldn't even begin to imagine how Artemis Senior would feel about his wife being signed into a mental institution by his own son, while he was away on a business trip.

Butler exchanged a look with Selene, then left to make the phone call. What else could he do ? It was not as if Angeline wasn't mentally unstable. Maybe that putting her to safety wasn't the worst solution. The bodyguard wished it could be that simple with his young principle, but he was growing more and more hopeless by the minute. Artemis was unreachable for his enemies indeed, but he was struggling with a much bigger threat.

And how could Butler protect the young boy from himself ?

Selene looked at the bodyguard, while he exited the corridor, and entered the music room somberly.

" Hello ", the young girl said.

Angeline now completely laid on the carpet, staring at the ceiling. She didn't even seem to notice Selene's presence. The young girl felt her vision blurring, and she sat on the piano seat. She cried, for a few minutes, but as soon as she was calmed down, she started thinking.

Angeline was unable to do anything for Artemis. She was too fragile, and somehow, she loved him too much. She didn't want to brutalize him, even if that was what he needed. There was no reasoning or moral lessons possible anymore : the only thing that could stop him was brute force.

Selene could now see how that wasn't a job for Angeline : the Czech girl shared enough traits with her father to know that he wouldn't react well to a blunt approach. Fortunately for her, Angeline had been smooth enough, otherwise Artemis might have completely crushed her.

Selene massaged her temples, thinking hard. Butler would be able to do something significant, but he didn't allow himself, fearing that it would mean losing Artemis definitely. Angeline needed to be as far from her son as possible before anything happened to her – that might be Artemis' only selfless decision so far. Selene herself was useless ; her father just wouldn't listen to her.

Then, after exploring every option, the young girl decided there was only one person left that might stop him.

Artemis' own father.

And here we are :-) Including the epilogue, there's now only five chapters left to go, until the end of the story ! Already :-O I just can't believe it ! ^^'

As I said previously, this chapter was super hard to write, with all the political stuff it involved... At first, this chapter was supposed to be Foaly's trial, but I figured out I had already beaten the poor pony up quite a lot in chapter 8, and the trial really felt anti-climatic. So I've changed almost everything and eventually got to this version. I'm really much more comfortable writing Artemis than the fairies, honestly : I've struggled for almost an entire week with the War Council scene, and I wrapped the Artemis and Angeline scenes in like... two days XD Even though they're much more... let's say emotionally hard to write - I actually relate so much with Angeline, for various reasons. Poor mom :'-(

WELL. Now, I've prepared chapter 10, but I haven't started writing it yet. I'm getting on it as soon as this chapter is published ! Feel free to leave a review, comment on the chapter, what you liked, didn't like... it means so much to me :-)

See you next week ! Lots of love from France o/