"Put it down, Butler."
The Sig Sauer remained where it was positioned. At his head. A target that couldn't be missed.
"I'll kill you," Butler said firmly, "don't doubt that."
Artemis laughed. But only a little. "Oh, trust me- I don't."
Butler debated whether or not to shoot the imposter. He had seen the wreckage. There had been no survivors.
Butler placed fifteen rounds into the mechanically locked and recoil operated P226 sem-automatic. The P226 has come to be known as one of the most distinguished combat pistols in existence because of its durability and…reliability, if you will.
"Butler- really…" he said arms raised, "let's not waste our time."
Butler made a sound that was somewhat between a grunt and a growl.
He readied his finger on the trigger.
"Butler!" Artemis said, tone slightly sterner. "Look, if you shoot that thing, you are not going to like the consequences."
"If I shoot this thing," Butler said with equal frankness, "you are not going to like the consequences. You chose the wrong boy to impersonate and the wrong man to fool. Your joke is in bad taste, my friend."
And without another word, Butler fired two shots directly into the chest cavity of the male youth.
There is one thing you as a reader must understand now before this story continues. Butler is not a man of feeling. End of statement. It was on rare occasion that Butler smiled, even rarer when he laughed, but only once did Butler ever shed tear. This account of Butler's crying is dismissed by the few who witnessed it; other witnesses do not come forth.
Butler wiped a stray tear from his eyes and cursed himself immediately. He promised himself such a moment would never come. Just shooting what looked so close to being his charge had left him with emotion that he had been repressing for quite a time now. What happened next left him quite confused. He wasn't sure what scared him more, the possibility that he could have missed, or the fact that the being, once on the floor, stumbled to its feet with a rather exposed chest. He took his half-spilt rib-cage and mended into a perfectly healthy one. No blood or anything.
Who was this child he had killed but a second ago?
The 'Artemis' before him, no doubt had the same bone-structure as the little Arty he knew and loved, but his attributes were slightly different than those of the infamous Fowl. The man before him was a brunette, not that of the jet-black, raven haired child he once knew.
And those eyes…
Fowl had stunning eyes to be sure, but the man before him had eyes that should not be naturally possessed by any living thing. No, not naturally at least. Even people with the lightest blue eyes, could not compare to this boy; with no melanin on the front of the iris at all, having a dark brown coloration on the back of it, to prevent light from harming him.
The stranger with raised arms had eyes of a shade he had heard of once before whilst touring Asia. It was a bluish-cyanish that he could not be mistaken for any other shade of the sort. The lightest shade of blue that one can paint and still be very faintly seen against an all-white background. Alice blue.
"I'm going to forgive you for that, Butler," he said smug, "but expect a bit of a deduction from your paycheck."
Butler stared at him stangely.
"Well do you blame me? For what you get paid, you should not be making such foolish mistakes."Artemis brought himself to stare coolly back him, "I blame your age."
Silence.
"Dom," the stranger spoke slowly and kindly, "Are you going to stare at me all day or what?"
"How did you survive that?" he said shaken I do not miss."
"I am perfectly aware of that."
"Artemis?"
Artemis cocked a brow. "Nothing yet, my friend?"
"It isn't possible."
"Oh, but it is. Holly and I-"
"You're dead."
"Yes. Yes I am."
More silence.
"Holly and I-" Artemis continued.
"No. Its you. But- you're dead."
Artemis sighed.
Butler made his way over to his charge. "Your parents are going to kill me." Butler shook the thought. "You," he said firmly, "have quite a bit of explaining to do."
xxxxxx
"Svp, mon ami, entrent" the blonde child greeted overzealously.
Holly turned to Angeline who had insisted coming with her.
"Don't worry, deary," Angeline whispered to Holly.
"Don't expect me to mannerful, Angeline. I have a tendency to misbehave when I'm-"
"Jealous?" the older woman said playfully despite her age.
"…Angry," Holly finished suspiciously. Why did everyone assume she was jealous?
"We'll just be a minute, Minerva" Angeline said with elegance despite her true feelings. Holly made no attempt to hide anything, as she stood on the doorstep with a hand on her weapon and the other hand tucked in uniform's pocket. She sighed deeply.
"We regret to tell you, Ms. Paradizo, that Mrs. Fowl's son has been- temporarily misplaced. Just wanted to keep you aware…"
"Zon't aye noe ou frum sumvere?" Don't I know you from somewhere? Minerva said tugging on the end of her skirt.
"She's a friend," Angeline said demurely.
"Ah-" said Minerva uninterested.
"Well! We'll keep you informed," Holly said slightly frustrated
"Zu zat," she said hand on the door, "Aye zend my sincerest wregods." Do that. I send my sincerest regards, Minerva half-closed the door, "Aye wahs wundehring vhy he vasn't unswering my cuhlls…" I was wondering why he wasn't answering my calls…
"Yes." Said Holly smiling, "that must be it."
Minerva shut the door.
"What do you think, Angeline? Genuine?"
"I think I hate her." Angeline replied.