Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Artemis Fowl
With all of the chaos going on surrounding a single man, many are likely wondering what the infamous Artemis Fowl I had truly been up to for the last three years. Well, to start Artemis senior truly meant to make his trip a short one. Meeting with an old friend, Artemis had every intention of reconciling with Jude. In fact, he planned to speak of their former intentions of a unions between their families. He had hoped an agreement could be reached to call off such arrangements, now that he was beginning to see how easily he had let greed rule his life in the past. His son deserved a better future than that, and he planned to provide such a thing to the young boy.
On the road to Acalypha, Artemis had been rather passive until he saw an odd group gathered a ways off the road. Really, it looked like they were attempting to hide, but it only managed to make them stand out more. With their dark cloaks and the fact that almost no one took this more scenic path into town, it made them suspicious. Planning to report them over to the authorities, Artemis had moved closer to attempt to identify them.
Closer, he saw a shockingly familiar sight. While she was older, he had not forgotten the bright, short pink hair of the girl who now seemed to have grown into a young woman. Next to her was another with dark black hair, one of the more reprehensible of Grimoire Heart if he remembered them correctly. Both wore similar dark blue cloaks, standing in a circle with a new face bearing an odd marking around one of his eyes.
"The energy has been growing stronger, Jellal. I'm not certain if our current methods are quick enough to deal with it." Meredy had been speaking, while Artemis moved to hide behind the nearest tree. With natural plants lining the path, it gave him many options to keep himself out of sight.
"I know…but it is not as if we have other options. None of us can identify what the spell is, much less ascertain its connection to Zeref."
It was another search for Zeref. Artemis had been watching over the black wizard for a few years now, and he was beginning to see how reprehensible such decisions were. That man was tortured enough as it was by his own magic. He didn't need others attempting to seek him out further. In fact, Artemis had been working on looking into ways of concealing and suppressing that power. Though, based on the constant lack of control the black wizard showed, his efforts had done little to contain such power.
"Almost makes me wish we still had some kind of news from Fowl." That made Artemis stiffen, seeing Ultear glancing towards Meredy with a slight smile. "As ruthless as he was, you have to admire a brilliant mind like his. Turning him towards our goals would prove difficult…but there was no one who understood Zeref better among our former guild."
Meredy nodded in agreement, glancing towards Jellal who was frowning. "He might actually be willing to help, Ul." Ultear surprised Artemis by not snapping at the girl's nickname. She normally disliked it due to how close the nickname was to her mother's name. "Remember? He quit the guild before that whole mess with Fairy Tail. He probably doesn't even know that we've disbanded."
Grimoire Heart was disbanded? Artemis couldn't believe it. However, he still couldn't figure out just what they were doing here either. "It matters little who this man was or what he could accomplish. When an aura like Zeref's appears in the heart of our nation, it takes full priority. We do not have time to waste on locating this man…not when it will likely be more efficient to investigate ourselves."
"So what do you propose? We've been observing the Grand Magic Games for the last four years. Little of interest seems to be taking place beyond this growing magical energy in Crocus." Ultear spoke calmly. This was proving to be more alarming than he first thought. He knew where Zeref was and what he was doing. That meant someone else had obtained power of a similar nature.
Moving away, Artemis attempted to return to the path, however, Meredy's next comment made him freeze once more. "Ooh! I know. Timmy had a kid, right?" Artemis winced, regretting sharing that nickname with his former guild. He only wished to hear it from Angeline these days, but he supposed others would cling to it as well. "We just need to go to Fowl Manor and bring him along instead. You'd think he'd be just as bright as his father, right?"
His son would not be involved. Artemis would not allow such a thing. So, he rose to his feet and braced himself, resigning himself to his fate. He wished he had managed to take at least a moment to compose a message for his family, so they would not worry so much about him. However, if this group would not stop until they had someone aiding them, he would return to his former ways to keep Arty out of this life. "If you go towards the manor, you will regret it, Meredy." Artemis eyed the girl warily, watching as she gasped in shock.
Turning towards him, the blue haired man frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Based on that greeting, I take it you are the aforementioned Artemis Fowl?"
Nodding, Artemis straightened his tie and set down his briefcase, looking at the girls rather than him. "Indeed, though I left that life behind long ago. The past always has ways of coming back to haunt us, though."
"We aren't members of that guild anymore, Timmy." Ultear seemed to have even taken to the nickname, making Artemis frown. "We're a new group, one seeking to help this world and atone for our sins. If you would let Jellal explain, I'm certain you would see it our way."
Meeting her gaze, Artemis crossed his arms over his chest. "I will do just enough to keep my son out of this. Whatever you are investigating, I promise you it is not what you think it is."
"I think I'd know what Zeref's aura would feel like. It is unlike anything you can imagine, dark and—"
Before Jellal could finish, Artemis interrupted. "I am well aware of the Black Wizard's magical signature. After all, I was the one who designed the spell that allowed Grimoire Heart to track it down to Tenrou Island." That made Jellal stop, glancing back towards the girls behind him.
"We told you he was good. He'll likely be able to find this spell for us before it is even close to being a concern of ours." Ultear spoke confidently, but Jellal narrowed his eyes.
"I see. And if this is not a spell of Zeref's, what do you believe it to be?"
"As I have yet to study it myself, I cannot say." Artemis eyed Jellal warily, watching as the man shook his head.
"You have no intention of joining this guild. You have no information on the spell. Yet, you think you can provide us with some—" Before Jellal could finish, someone had leapt down from one of the trees. Golden magic illuminated around Jellal, allowing him to move away quickly and dodge the sudden attack.
Behind him, a woman with dark blue hair and a pale, billowy white shirt seemed to stand. "I've been looking for you, Jellal. Do you have any idea how many have requested your death?"
"And it appears as if it is time to leave." Jellal glanced towards Artemis, hesitating for a moment. "If you truly do wish to help, I must urge you to join us. We are a guild working to protect the innocent in any way possible. We could use all the help we can get."
Looking towards the girl, Artemis realized there was a different way of helping him. Dark guilds were not known to surrender, and if Jellal had any history researching this spell, he was likely closer to the truth than Artemis was at the moment. "I wish you luck on your task, old friends. Perhaps this could have been a more pleasant reunion had I realized you now were aware of the errors of your previous ways."
"Confident, are you? I assure you, I will kill any who stands by my target and defends him." The assassin smirked, requipping a handful of throwing daggers in an instant. Seeing the blades, Artemis sighed and shook his head.
"You aren't coming with us? Timmy, she'll—" Meredy was cut off as Ultear grabbed her arm, shaking her head slightly. There was a grave look in her eyes, an understanding coming from the dark past she used to follow herself. She understood what Artemis was doing, and she nodded her head in thanks as Jellal moved to join her.
Focusing on the woman, Artemis had smiled. "I am no friend of his, but I am also not your enemy. In fact…I do believe we can prove to be beneficial to each other. Tell me, you are an assassin are you not?" The woman had nodded. "I am aware of a rare and one-of-a-kind form of magic in existence, one which I am currently studying and attempting to comprehend enough to share with others. It is true death magic, killing anything it touches in an instant. If you forget about your target and spare my life, I will devote my focus to comprehending what I've learned. I will teach you to use such a power if it is the last thing I do." He knew he would never be able to unravel such a mystery, so it was a safe promise to make. In the end, she had accepted, and from that point on, Artemis Fowl I found himself as the most unusual member of Death's Head, the assassin guild.
Considering he had never planned on returning to this life, it had been oddly easy. Closing off his heart, Artemis found that so long as his family was not on his mind, he could play the role he once did. He could be heartless, caring about little beyond rewards. When Hannah came asking about his progress, he'd send her off, claiming he needed more funding to attempt another direct contact with his former home. With how little trust there was amongst dark wizards, he was not allowed to leave. Hannah thought he was at risk of attempting an escape, due to his past with Grimoire Heart. Death's Head knew he had quit a dark guild once, and they weren't taking the risk of letting his family talk him out of it again.
When Hannah returned to the guild again, Artemis had expected it to be like any other day. She'd bring in some form of prey, using wizards she found in town as a training exercise for the other members to practice their killing skills on. This time, it was a rather large group. In fact, it brought an odd ache to him when he saw the young girl that looked like she was about Arty's age now. "So, my dear fairies, have you decided what task you wish to present us with?"
A few in the guild looked eager, smirking and sharing knowing looks as Hannah continued through her ruse. Artemis sat in a dark corner of the guild, paperwork sprawled in front of him as he tried to ignore it all. "That's the thing. We're not even certain we know who we're targeting. All we know is that we've got a bit of a problem. To put things simply, we've been forced to take an illegal job and now, we need some underground connections to finish it off."
The one without a shirt spoke, a blue mark showing on his chest. They were from a legal guild, Artemis realized. He wondered just what Death's Head thought they were doing by antagonizing one of them now. "Well, I'm afraid we can't help with such vague details as that. Do you simply wish for us to take the job off of your hands? Or would you rather we deal with the one responsible for giving you such a task? Really, we are quite capable of either."
"Wait…you could do that? Even I couldn't track down Lucy and that creepy kid!" The pink haired boy seemed stunned. Really, he shouldn't have been. Tracking spells were far more accurate than tracking by brute force, and Hannah did have connections that could manage it if necessary.
Nodding, she smiled at him. "I see you've decided on a target, but do your companions agree?"
"We…I don't think we really need anyone…um…killed." There was a sweet shyness to the young girl's voice, the one with hair the same shade as Hannah's.
The shirtless boy crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a sigh. "As much as I hate to say it, she's right. Not even Artemis deserves that, no matter how much of a brat he's been."
That made Artemis stiffen, his head shooting up. "Artemis?" He spoke, seeing Hannah narrow her eyes towards him. Meeting her gaze, Artemis raised his eyebrows. If she chose to challenge him now, her ruse would be forfeit. Really, he had the upper hand in their current situation, with the game she seemed intent on playing.
"Yes, Artemis Fowl II, to be precise." The scarlet haired wizard in armor spoke, meeting his gaze. "He has kidnapped one of our members and refuses to release her until we complete this job for him. I suppose I can allow for some forgiveness due to his age, but if he has harmed our comrade, we will show him no mercy."
What had his son gotten into now? He knew Arty had been a bit too intrigued by some of the darker aspects of his past. Artemis had tried so hard to dissuade him from that path, but there had always been a drive to be challenged in that boy that legal work just couldn't provide. Evading the authorities was almost like a game to Arty, rather than the actual risk it was supposed to be. "And what form of job is he requesting? Unless you are seeking out someone's death, an assassin's guild is hardly the place to be seeking aid."
"Don't scare away the customers, Timmy." As someone aware of his dislike of the nickname outside of his family, Hannah knew to say it with a sneer.
Meeting her gaze steadily, Artemis smiled. "Oh? And should I illuminate them on other matters, Hannah?"
With a scowl, she turned away and glowered at the wall instead. However, the pink haired boy seemed to be moving oddly close to him, sniffing the air. He had been so focused on Hannah that he hadn't noticed his approach, and now, Artemis had to lean back to avoid letting the guy actually push him back. "You…you smell like him." It was an odd comment, one that made Artemis frown. "Like the kid from Lucy's apartment. How the hell do you know Artemis, you bastard?"
Rolling her eyes, Hannah turned her focus towards the man. "Isn't it obvious? I have to say, for someone working for Artemis, you really are a dense little fool." That made the pink haired boy frown, leaning away from Artemis just a moment to study her. "The man standing before you is Artemis Fowl, one of our esteemed guild members. Now, what kind of a job are you attempting to blackmail wizards into performing this time? Don't tell me this is about your family again."
"Wait…but he can't be!" Wendy gasped, glancing towards him.
"I dunno…Artemis did say there were two of him. He does kinda look like the kid…and he does look pretty lazy, like the kind of guy who wouldn't bother thinking of a name for his kid." Did the cat by the pink haired wizard just speak? Artemis frowned for a moment before deciding there were other matters to focus on.
If his own son had sent them, then there was likely some kind of plan afoot. He knew Arty quite well, and while he had never been directly involved, he had seen enough of his son's work to know the child was a prodigy in his own right. The young genius had surpassed his own research on Zeref's magic before Artemis even realized his son had discovered what was being held in the building on the far corner of their property. In fact, his own son had aided in the creation of spells that were often sold under false names to keep their family out of the public eye. Some were likely dangerous, but he knew his son wouldn't do anything too dangerous at his age. It wouldn't be for another few years that he'd actually have reason to be concerned.
"He's…this guy is the Artemis we're looking for."
"Alright! Well, it looks like we're luckier than we thought. Come on, Artemis, we've gotta get going now!" The pink haired boy seemed to have a mini celebration before grabbing his arm rather forcefully and dragging him along behind him. Startled, Artemis stumbled slightly, but that was when the other wizards in the guild began to rise to their feet.
Seeing them, Artemis smiled. Really, they hadn't realized who they were dealing with. If Hannah had taken any time to research Grimoire Heart, she'd have known that it wouldn't be possible for just any wizard to quit the guild. "I thank you for the hospitality, but I do believe this is my cue to leave. Considering I've broken our agreement, I suppose I cannot blame you for reacting in turn…but I highly doubt fools like you could manage to stop anyone who was once involved in Grimoire Heart anyway."
Just as Hannah began to join, requipping a sword to attack, Artemis smiled and closed his eyes. Teleportation was a more subtle magic, but it was one he needed to escape Grimoire Heart quickly without detection. Technically, he was not a master, but he knew enough to get him to the location he had in mind. In an instant, they were all gone from the guild and standing in front of Fowl Manor instead, just outside of the gated wall. Glancing towards the others, Artemis sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He hoped he had bought that other group enough time to stop whatever spell it was that had them worried. After all, he had just made an assassin's guild rather angry by leaving so suddenly. Either way, they were capable wizards, and it would likely do little harm. First, he had to determine some way of dealing with the son that seemed to have attempted becoming a dark wizard himself before even choosing a specialization for his own magical gifts.
I know this might seem a bit sudden for Artemis Fowl I to be found...but there are quite a few other things I want to focus on this story later on, so I didn't really want to let this part drag on for too long. Either way, I hope you enjoyed! It sure was interesting trying to write in the POV of Arty's father...but I think I managed him to some degree. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!