Disclaimer: As everyone knows (or at least everyone who would be reading this fic), Artemis Fowl belongs to Eoin Colfer, I'm just playing with his characters and building off of his ideas.
Chapter Eleven: Iphigenia
Dr. Argon fiddled with his machine, turning a knob here, adjusting a wire there. Slowly...carefully...a little more...no, a little less than that...
He stepped back to admire his handiwork. If he wasn't mistaken, and, as he told himself smugly, he generally wasn't, he had figured out the right sequence to bring Fowl's Aura personality to the surface. He knew it wasn't strictly advisable to compel another alter to into consciousness without giving Artemis's core personality a chance to be present again, but he was too eager to wait. Besides, the quicker he progressed with all stages of the treatment to quicker the Mud Boy would be cured, right? At least that's what he told himself as he pressed the button.
*****RTR*****
"Now!" shouted Siproites.
Artemis and Orion threw their weight against the outside of the door while Sirpriotes inserted the key Adonis had stolen out of Aura's pocked earlier into the lock and turned it.
There was a jerk, as though a small but powerful earthquake had rippled through Artemis's mindspace. The three teens clapped their hands to their heads.
"Ow..."
The jerk came again. They could hear Aura pounding on the other side of the door.
"He doesn't sound pleased," observed Orion. "I still say this is the coward's approach. We should meet him in an honorable fight, man to man."
"Aura has no honor," said Siproites, tucking the key back into her pocket.
Another jolt ripped through the mind-space, knocking the three teens off their feet. Artemis, Siproites, and Orion were thrown violently against the wall outside Aura's room and knew no more.
*****RTR*****
Argon frowned and jabbed his finger at the button for a third time. What was going on here? Why wasn't it working? He glanced back over his page of calculations and deductions. Everything was in order, so why was nothing happening? He turned his focus back to the body on the bed, still limp as a rag doll. Argon lifted his finger to push the button for a fourth time, but just then Artemis's body went suddenly rigid and several convulsions tore through it.
Argon considered the epileptic teen and then the machine. Hm. Perhaps he had given the boy one too many shocks. After all, one of that magnitude was usually more than enough to do to trick.
When Fowl's convulsions ceased Argon checked his vitals. Heart rate and breathing above normal, temperature had risen a few more points, but he seemed to be more or less alright. Providing that his brain hadn't been fried of course.
The youth's eyelids flickered. Argon leaned eagerly over the bed, peering down at the awakening teen.
Deep blue and hazel eyes opened groggily, then widened in abject terror as the boy on the bed jerked back with a frightened cry.
"Hello," said Dr. Argon pleasantly.
The boy said nothing, simply drew his knees up to his chest and hugged them, still trembling.
"Did I frighten you?"
Fowl nodded.
"What's your name?"
"I-I-Iphag-genia," whispered the boy.
"D'Arvit," said Argon.
*****RTR*****
"D'Arvit," said Artemis, rubbing his head as he got to his feet. "What was that all about?"
"I'd say we succeeded in keeping Aura in," said Siproites, also getting to her feet and brushing herself off. "But whatever Argon did it was designed to bring him out. We messed it up, with less than pleasant results."
"More pleasant than if the good Doctor had succeeded," pointed out Orion.
"True," agreed Siproites, and Artemis nodded vigorously.
"So," said Orion. "If we have succeeded in our noble quest and kept the terror of Aura contained, what is happening out there?"
"Only one way to find out," said Artemis, and set off in the direction of the main office room, Orion and Siproites at his heals.
*****RTR*****
The four identical teenagers found a fourth doppleganger already occupying the office, sitting in Artemis's swivel chair and munching from a bag of potato crisps.
"Move," said Artemis.
"Rude much?" said Adonis, shoving another handful of potato crisps into his mouth.
"Yes, it was typically boorish," said Orion. "But it is Artemis's chair."
"So kindly get out," added Siproites, hauling Adonis up out of the chair.
"Alright, alright, pu-shy," said Adonis.
Artemis eyed the other boy's bag of crisps and raised an eyebrow.
"Where did you get those?"
"Thought them up," said Adonis as though it should be obvious.
"You can just think things up here and they appear."
"Er, duh," said Adonis.
"Why does everyone else know more about my own head than I do?" said Artemis irritably.
"But you do know it," said Siproites. "Because we are you."
"Not now, please," groaned Artemis. "Let's see what damage Iphigenia manages to do. Hopefully he's too scared to cause problems."
Orion looked at Artemis.
"How do you know it's going to be Iphigenia?"
Artemis gave him a withering look. "Because he's the only one who's not here—besides Aura, who we locked in his room—which means that he must be the one that is out there. Now do be quiet."
"Sni-py," said Adonis.
"Shhhh!" hissed three other voices.
*****RTR*****
Doctor Argon scowled at the boy cowering on the bed in front of him.
"P-p-please don't l-look at me l-l-like that..." he whispered, staring at his hands.
"I'm not going to eat you, boy," Argon snapped. Iphigenia flinched. "What are you doing here?
"I d-don't know. I j-j-just w-w-woke up here." He lifted his eyes. "C-c-can you s-send me b-back? It's too b-big here."
"I don't understand," said Argon in frustration. "You were meant to be Aura."
Iphigenia's eyes went even wider and he began rocking back and forth.
"D-don't talk ab-bout him, p-p-please..."
Argon rolled his eyes.
"Why do you all say that? What's so terrible about Aura?"
Iphigenia just wrapped his arms tighter around himself and shook his head, whimpering.
"Alright, alright," said Dr. Argon with forced calm. "Since you're here, I might as well ask you a few questions."
"Q-questions?"
"Simple questions. First of all, tell me about the other personalities as you see them. Not," he added as Iphigenia bit his lip, "Aura. The others."
"They fight a lot," said Iphigenia softly. "I keep telling them we should all get along and be friends, but they're always yelling and arguing with each other."
"Interesting," said Dr. Argon. "And individually? You can start with Orion."
"Orion is...very...loud," said Iphigenia.
"Oka-ay," said Dr. Argon. "Anything else?"
Iphigenia shrugged.
"What about Adonis?"
"He says things that don't make any sense. They confuse me."
Talking to this Iphigenia person was not turning out to be very informative, except for the tidbit about the other personalities fighting all the time. Which meant that they could interact inside Fowl's head... He cataloged that information for future consideration.
"And Siproites?"
"She's really bossy...it's kind of scary..."
Dr. Argon refrained from rolling his eyes with difficulty.
"Alright then. What about Artemis?"
Iphigenia bit his lip again.
"Artemis... I wish I could be more like Artemis. He's very brave... But he won't even talk to me. I don't think he even knows I exist."
Dr. Argon snorted. "I wouldn't be surprised."
Obviously Iphigenia thought Argon was laughing at him. "I know it's silly..."
"No, no, I don't think that," said Argon, though he did a little. "You should want to get to know him, you are him. Have you tried talking to him?"
"Oh, he doesn't listen to me..." Iphigenia whispered miserably.
He probably doesn't hear you, thought Argon.
"And what do you think about—" Argon stopped. He could ask Iphigenia what he thought about Holly Short. Or...
"I think we're done for today," he announced, standing up. "See you later, Fowl." Sooner than you'll be seeing me.
*****RTR*****
As Argon left, Butler entered. Iphigenia gasped at the size of the man-mountain coming in through the doorway and pressed himself against the headboard.
"P-please, I'm peaceful, d-d-don't hurt me."
Butler stopped short, taken aback.
"Hurt you?" he said incredulously, knowing even as he felt it that Madame Ko would highly disapprove of the stab of pain those simple words caused him.
"If one of the oth-thers has d-done anything to of-f-ffend you I s-swear I had nothing to d-do with it."
"Artemis, you know I would never—" Butler stopped, mentally calling himself every kind of idiot for being so slow on the uptake. "You're not Artemis."
Iphigenia shook his head.
"Who are you, then?"
"Iph-phg-genia," said Iphigenia.
"And do you know who I am?" asked Butler.
"B-B-Butler?"
"Right," said Butler. "Butler. Artemis's bodyguard. So why in the world would I hurt you? That would be hurting Artemis."
Iphigenia just shrugged and stared at the bedspread.
"Sorry. It was a s-stupid thing to say."
"Excuse me?"
"I said—"
"I heard what you say," said Butler. "I just can't believe you said it. No one would ever accuse Artemis of being stupid, least of all himself. And if they did he would correct their misconceptions very quickly. And perhaps rather painfully."
"I don't like pain," said Iphigenia. "Or fighting. Why can't everyone just get along?"
"Er..." said Butler. "We can try."
*****RTR*****
Iphigenia, who had been curled up on the bed, reading a book, jumped as the door creaked open and then snapped shut.
"Good day to you too, Mud Boy," said Holly wryly.
Iphigenia's eyes went wide and color rose to his cheeks.
Holly looked at him curiously.
"Cat got your tongue? It's usually customary to greet a friend when they enter a room."
"H-h-h-hi," stuttered Iphigenia, desperately looking everywhere but at Holly.
"Oka-ay..." said Holly. She looked around at the bodyguard. "Explanation, Bulter?"
"Meet Iphigenia," said Butler. "Artemis's shy, timid, insecure side."
"He has one of those?"
"Apparently."
"Well," said Holly.
Butler left the room (with only minimal prodding from Holly) and Holly perched herself on the edge of Artemis's bed.
"How are you feeling, Ar—Iphigenia?" said Holly.
"I-I-I..." stuttered Iphigenia, swallowing several times. "O-ok-kay..." he managed after several seconds.
Holly pressed a hand to his forehead to check his fever.
Iphigenia's whole body went rigid and Holly felt his pulse speed up. When she lowered her hand and looked at him his face was a deep shade of crimson.
"Iphigenia? Are you alright?" she asked, confused.
The boy nodded wordlessly, looking like he was about to faint.
"Well, you're still quite feverish," said Holly, eyeing the dark haired boy. "I'd even say you're temperature's gone up." She sighed. "I don't like this at all, Arty. You'd tell me if something was seriously wrong, wouldn't you?"
*****RTR*****
Artemis didn't even realize he had reached out until his fingertips brushed the screen. Gods, if only there was something, anything he could do to erase the pain from Holly's voice.
"It's not fair," he said to no one in particular. "She shouldn't have to suffer for me."
"If I was out there I would go through hell and high water, move mountains to the end of the earth to end the fair maiden's suffering!" announced Orion.
"It's her own weakness which makes her vulnerable to such pathetic feelings," said Ephialtes.
"She's hot when she's sad," said Adonis.
"She cares about you," said Siproites. "You're hurting, so of course she's hurting."
"I've hurt her enough already, though," said Artemis.
"It does no good to dwell on the past. Think about the future instead," advised Orion. "And all the adventures in store!"
"He's right," said Siproites. "Don't think about what you did do, think about what you will do. You will tell her if something serious happens, won't you?"
Artemis rubbed his neck uncomfortably. "I..."
"Artemis..."
"Of—of course I will."
*****RTR*****
Holly was bored. So far she hadn't gotten Iphigenia to speak more than two words to her. The boy seemed terrified by her very presence. She glanced over at his huddled form on the bed. He was shivering.
"Iphigenia, are you cold?" she asked, standing and walking over to his side. "You have goosebumps. Here."
She lifted a soft, thick blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over the shivering teen's shoulders, tucking it securely around him.
"Is that better?"
He glanced up and caught her eye. Scarlet flooded his face and a jolt went through Holly as though Argon had shocked her with one of his machines. But it faded almost as soon as she felt it. This boy was completely missing Artemis's vitality and strength. His signature personality. His...Artemisness. She took his face in her hands, ignoring the hammering pulse and widened eyes, and searched it for some trace of her friend.
"I know you're in there somewhere, Artemis," she said. "Don't you ever become like this, you understand me? And do come back soon," she added. "I'm tired of looking in your face and seeing someone else."
On the other side of the door Dr. Argon stepped back from the keyhole. It was obvious that this version of Fowl shared the others' attraction to Captain Short; he could barely even speak in her presence. It was as he has suspected. What was more unsettling was just how close a relationship the captain really did seem to have with Fowl. The very idea of her returning the human's affections even slightly made his skin crawl. In spite of the slight moral questionability of it, Argon didn't think this would be his last stint at this particular keyhole.
AN: No, it wasn't Aura. Sorry. As you can tell now, since he's the only personality left to come out, I've been saving him for last. Which means next chapter? Nope. It doesn't. I had been bringing a new personality out every other chapter so I meant to bring him out in Chapter 13. But I don't. He comes out in Chapter 14. Reasons why are explained in the Author's Note there. I know this chapter wasn't particularly action packed either, and I apologize for that. The next one is though, I promise.
I'd be very grateful if you told me what you thought of the chapter in a review! ;)
-SQ