Rowan tore out of the barn, nearly knocking over the drinks in Butler's hands. "Sorry!"
"What's the rush?" He asked, but Rowan had picked back up her stride and was already halfway to the mansion.
You idiot! What do you think you're doing?! Opal screamed furiously.
I don't know! Rowan replied, and she really didn't. "You have to tell me why I'm doing this! What's this all for?!"
You want to know? Fine then. Opal made Rowan sit right outside the house and showed her a memory:
Morrigan was back in the real Opal's lair, sitting in the same metal chair as before. The video of the little boy played again.
"What do you want from me?" Her voice broke with emotion.
"Just make one simple decision: Have your soul be tainted with the murder of your whole family? Or Artemis Fowl, just another stranger on the street."
Morrigan couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. She hung her head down in resignation, "What do you want me to do?"
Opal revealed herself, stepping through an almost invisible doorway beside the large screen. "This boy," She pointed to the screen displaying a picture of Artemis, obviously taken in secret, he was about to get into Butler's car but had paused to look over at something not within the camera's view. "Has something I need on his computer, files from Foaly's computer about the LEP and a certain elf in witness protection. His name is Artemis Fowl. He thinks he's a teenage genius." Opal switched the image in the screen. "This is Artemis's brute of a mudman, Butler."
"Damn."
"Yes, mudgirl. Damn is correct. Anyways, you have to get those files from Artemis's computer. To do that, you have to gain his trust."
"How?" Morrigan asked.
Opal rolled her eyes, "The only way a woman knows how."
Morrigan didn't understand, but a moment later the realization came to her. "Hey! I'm not-"
"Yes you are." Opal ordered. She laid just a little bit of Mesmer on her. She grew tired of this constant back and forth. "It's why I chose you. You have the necessary computer hacking skills, and you have quite the reputation in school with mudboys."
"They're just rumors." Morrigan muttered.
"Do you really want to risk your brother based on whether it's rumor or not?"
And with that, the memory ended. See? said Opal, No more hesitation. We don't have forever.
There is no we. Rowan replied, but not overly defiant. She had a job to do.
"Well, good bye Artemis." Minerva said, Jean Claude tucked the one suitcase of Minreva's into the car trunk. "Thank you for letting me stay here."
"It was nothing." He answered politely. He was still wearing his sweats and t shirt that made him feel ridiculous in, but he maintained his aloof composure.
Minerva's security staff had just deemed it safe for her to return to her vacation home, even though she would be leaving in a week or two anyways, because the threat's scent, caught by the dogs, had trailed off the property.
"I give you my thanks as well," Jean Claude piped up from the car, "Butler, I look forward to when we meet again. I would like to learn some of your moves so I can better protect Miss Paradizo."
Butler smiled and nodded.
"Where is your -ahem- friend, Rowan?" Minerva asked.
Artemis shrugged, very unusual for him but he today was very unusual for him. First the outfit, then the physical exercise, what next? "I assume she's washing up after today's workout session."
"Workout session?"
"Yes. That is what I said, Minerva. You know what that is, correct?" Artemis replied with his usual trademark sarcasm.
Minerva just returned his sarcasm with a basilisk glare. "Until next time, Fowl."
"Until next time." Artemis replied. Jean Claude opened the car door for Minerva and she sat inside. "Speaking of which," Artemis leaned into the window. Jean started up the car, "You'll get your notes back at that time."
"Artemis!" She exclaimed angrily. At that moment Jean started the car and began to pull out. "We're not done with this!
"Be assured we're not." He answered, even though she couldn't hear. He hadn't forgotten that she's due for a mind wipe once this is all over and she's done her part.
Rowan turned on the shower, still dealing with Opal in her mind. "So I'm supposed to just know what I have to do? How does that make sense?" She commented aloud.
Your memory was supposed to be returned at a certain time, 3 weeks after you found Artemis, but something went wrong. I shouldn't even be here right now. I wonder if it was . . . .
Rowan ignored the Opal's continued ramblings to figure out what happened with the mind-wipe. She soaked her hair in the water, she savored the feeling of hot water running over her scalp and like most people, let her mind wander: Where has Minerva been? In fact now that I think about it, what has she been doing for the past few days? Why doesn't she like me? Weeellll, maybe it's because every time we talk to each other we get into an argument. Well, it's not my fault that she's so overprotective over her little Arty. Maybe if that wasn't in the way we could be good friends. Of course, that doesn't matter if I die in the end. No, don't think about that.
Rowan snapped herself out of that line of thought, Yes, think about that. Opal encouraged, So whatever you do, no matter how horrible it might seem to your small, mudgirl brain, you won't have any regrets. You won't remember, you'll be gone.
"I guess that's one way to look at it. . . ." Rowan muttered.
By the way if you're interested at all, the reason you can hear me in your head is your own problem. I don't normally believe in psychology, but when I mind wiped you, we must've shared a connection in thought. I didn't want to leave the job to a single, imbecilic mudgirl-
"Well, gee thanks."
-And you obviously have some isolation or independence issues. We both didn't want to let go! A seed of my conscious must've been left inside your head to guide you and assure myself that I am overseeing the success of this mission. Opal exclaimed, she giggled madly.
"I don't have any ''isolation issues''! I wouldn't want you in my head! That's ridiculous." Rowan protested. She turned off the water and dried herself off with a towel meticulously.
Ridiculous? I think not. Opal Koboi, pixie genius to the whole world, does not come up with "ridiculous" theories. A sound that resembled an elephant's sneeze came from Opal, but it was most likely a snort.
"Well there's always a first time." Rowan pulled open the semi-translucent glass door to the shower to find Artemis pulling of his black t-shirt. "The hell?" She quickly shut the door and held it there. "What are you doing in here?!"
Artemis paused, unsure if his ears were correct in hearing a girl's voice in the room with him. "Excuse me?"
"I said," She opened the door a bit to poke her head out through, "What the hell? What are you doing here?"
"I'm about to take a shower, obviously." He answered bluntly. Rowan looked at him incredulously. "The shower was already on, you didn't think to knock? You didn't even think to wonder if someone else was in here?"
"I told Butler to make a bath for me." He answered simply, in truth he was in shock. This had to be the most awkward moment of his life.
"Oh. Of course, silly me. I should've known." Rowan rolled her eyes, "Don't you have your own private bathroom or something?"
"The plumbing's out." He muttered, not looking her in the eye. Or even the face for that matter. That was really smooth, Artemis. He berated himself. "The plumbing's out", very articulate too. Why don't you just start using slang all together? Perhaps swag, or start calling everybody "son" and "homie"?
"Are you going to let me leave, or are you just going to stand there?" Rowan asked impatiently.
"Oh. Sorry." He turned around to give her privacy.
"You coulda left but, hey, that's cool too." She muttered. She stepped out quickly, but took a moment to look at the boy beside her. It was a bit hard not to see anything not pitiful, Artemis was tall for his age but the lack of muscle made him look so lanky. His arms were so skinny, Rowan believed that she might break it if they ever arm-wrestled. His only saving grace was-as weird as it may sound-was his skeleton. Or rather, his stature would be a better word, maybe. His long neck gracefully descended into smooth, perfectly angular shoulder blades. She would've examined the rest, but she didn't want to take too long.
Remember the mission? Opal whispered in the back of her mind. Artemis has to trust you! Now's the perfect time!
There are more ways than one to gain a person's trust. Rowan replied. "Thanks, Arty." She called as she let the door swing shut behind her.
Artemis hadn't been the only one being examined, but he would replay that memory again for a later time.