A/N: Be warned, this is not a happy chapter. Proceed at your own risk. Sorry in advance.
-Kio
Chapter 11;
LEP Forward Operating Base, Northern Ukraine
Relief washed over Artemis, working its way into every crack of his mind. This was it. Done. Over. Holly was alive. Butler was alive.
Of course, that meant a very uncomfortable conversation was on the way. Artemis couldn't imagine his elfin friend would be very pleased not only to hear that her oldest friend was dead, or that Artemis was to blame, but that he had also expressly lied to her about it. Even so, in that moment, he wouldn't let his worries ruin the feeling of happiness.
Holly is alive. No-one can take that away from me now. Even if she hates me, she can't take that fact away from me.
Artemis may have possessed the greatest human intellect of his time, but for now he seemed only able to concentrate on that one idea. The thought just kept echoing around his head.
Holly is alive.
An LEP technical consultant had to say his name thrice, the volume increasing each time, before he actually got Artemis's attention.
"What?" snapped the human, not bothering to hide his irritation at having his thoughts disturbed.
The LEP techie, a pixie, withered under Artemis's practiced glare. "Mister Artemis Fowl, sir, I, um, Mister Foaly ordered me inform you about something," he said in a rather small voice.
Artemis's demeanor changed immediately. If Foaly thought he should be informed, this was surely important.
"Well? What is it?"
"Mister Foaly wanted me to tell you that, err, the council has ordered Pripyat to be bio-bombed. The launch is scheduled for two minutes. The escapees should be clear by then. Oh, and he wanted me to give you this."
As he finished speaking, the pixie tossed Artemis a headset. The human boy (perhaps surprisingly) managed to just about catch it. He put it on immediately. The ears were filled by the voices of his friends.
"You can't just bio-bomb them! That's cold blooded murder!" That would be Holly then.
"Look, Holly," this voice belonged to Foaly. "I understand that you are trying to do the right thing, but we really don't have a choice. The council didn't really seem in the mood to negotiate."
"Excuse me," Artemis interjected before Holly could respond. "But are you sure that this is the smartest move right now?"
"Ah, Mud Boy, wasn't sure if you'd make it. That pixie is about as reliable a promise made by Opal Koboi to not be evil. Please do me a favor and tell Holly that she is being unreasonable. I mean, we have direct orders from the council! And besides, they're actually right for once. We can't risk having all those criminals running around with knowledge of fairies!"
"It's still murder!" shouted Holly, before Artemis could respond. "And I am not being unreasonable!"
Foaly ground his teeth audibly in frustration. "I would have thought that, after what they out you through, you would understand the most that these people are evil. It's not murder if they're evil, right?"
Artemis considered his response extremely carefully. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was antagonize Holly considering what he was going to tell her when she got back.
"I'm not sure it would be wise to further provoke the council at this time," he said, as neutrally as he could.
"You agree with him?"
"Not really. But I'm more concerned with what happens to us – especially you – when the council decides they need a scapegoat. I hardly need remind you of all people that giving them ammunition is unlikely to end well."
That shut Holly up for a few moments. Artemis took advantage of the pause to continue.
"Besides, I'm having a hard time feeling sympathetic considering that these people just came spectacularly close to killing my two best friends."
The debate would likely have persisted and grown only more agitated, but unfortunately the bio-bomb had been ordered to be fired as soon as was conceivably possible. As Artemis finished his sentence, the shuttle containing Holly and the remainder of team Storm happened to cross the border of what the LEP had designated the "danger zone", meaning that the bio-bomb could now be fired safely. Which it was.
Artemis saw the sleek little missile streak away from the LEP base and toward Pripyat. It still scared him how deadly they were. He was vaguely aware that Holly was soldiering on with her case.
"Too late, Holly," he said softly, watching the missile disappear into the distance. "What is done is done."
Seconds later the sky lit up a brilliant blue. Deadly light flashed and filled every desolate building. Pripyat became a ghost town once again. Artemis was surprised to realize that he really did regret it; who knew how many lives had just been taken? He wasn't naïve, he understood that the decision made sense, but he still wished there had been another way.
The elation that he had felt when he it initially became clear that Holly and Butler would live was entirely gone now. Perhaps a younger Artemis would have been pleased that his enemies had been served justice and that his friends were safe, but now he felt only sadness.
How many people have died for this? Trouble, Retrieval One, members of team Storm, that innocent little girl, probably at least fifty mercenaries and criminals… Not Holly, though. She is safe. It was a bittersweet thought. Holly was safe a week ago. Now she is safe once again, but at what cost? Whoever did this, they have achieved nothing other than death.
It just so happened that Artemis was wrong about that. Dead wrong. The person responsible hadn't achieved all of their aims, but they had ended up with ten tons of gold that they hadn't had previously and were now in a perfect position to instigate the next stage of their plan. All in all, this person was actually quite pleased with themselves…
Nebula Facility, Location Unknown
Vladimir Petrenko was speaking to Amber when his phone rang. Well, speaking probably wasn't the right word. Listening to Amber monologue might have been a better description.
"Excuse me, mistress," he said, giving a small bow and hoping that the centaur didn't decide to take offence at the interruption. He took out his phone and jabbed the "answer" button. "Da?"
"Petrenko. We have a problem."
Vladimir swore under his breath. The voice belonged to Ladislav Petrov, and he wasn't a man who called without good reason. He also wasn't the kind of man who engaged in unnecessary melodrama. Whatever this was, it wasn't good, and Amber definitely wasn't going to be pleased. He switched the phone to "speaker" mode so that his mistress could chip in if she needed to.
"What problem?" he asked tentatively.
"We lost Pripyat."
"What the hell do you mean you lost Pripyat?" Vladimir shouted.
"Blue rinse. Everyone is presumed dead."
Amber chose this moment to chime in. "The fairy!" she shrieked. "What about the elf? Is she alive?"
Ladislav seemed unsure. "Unlikely. They attempted a rescue with a human helicopter and a fairy team but with my assistance the assault was repelled. They never got into the Energetik. The elf must have been killed in the blast."
Amber shook her head violently. "No, no, no, no, no!" she ranted. "Fowl did this. He must have done! If Fowl is involved, nothing is as it seems. Nothing can be taken for granted. Unless you saw her die, she may well have survived. In fact, even if you did see her die… we must proceed under the assumption that Holly Short and Artemis Fowl are alive and well. D'Arvit, I wanted her dead!"
"Mistress," began Vladimir cautiously. "Is it really possible she survived? You said yourself that we have little to fear from Fowl…"
Amber looked ready to throw something. The madness in her eyes was more pronounced than ever. "You incompetent fool! We have everything to fear from Fowl. He is the single greatest threat we face. He defeated the great Opal Koboi – twice! Together with Captain Short… no. It is too great a risk."
Vladimir had no idea who the great Opal Koboi was, but it didn't seem like a good time to mention that.
Amber paused for a few moments, eventually seeming to calm down a little. "Petrov – kill the Fowl boy."
"My pleasure," came the calm reply from Vladimir's phone.
"If he tracked Short to Pripyat, he can track us here," Amber continued. "Vlad, he will connect you to the plot and he will know a fairy helped you. He will try to find you, and if he finds you then he finds me."
The large Russian man tried hard to look offended. Unfortunately, he bore slightly too much resemblance to a bear to pull it off. "Mistress, you must understand, I would never betray-"
"Idiot! They have magic!" Amber shouted. "One tickle of the mesmer and you would be singing like a bird. No, you must not be captured. You will remain here until I see fit to allow you to leave."
Vladimir wasn't entirely unhappy with this suggestion. If Amber was right (which she usually was) then he was basically Fowl's only lead, and would therefore soon become the target of a manhunt from one of the world's most dangerous criminals and the extremely well-armed fairy police. Staying inside Amber's fortress was a lot more appealing than taking his chances outside.
Apparently Amber hadn't finished thinking aloud. "This actually isn't too much of a disaster… we should still be able to execute our plan without interference."
The centaur then gave a sadistic smile that terrified even Vladimir, her eyes alight with malice. "And if by some chance the good Captain does manage to cause us any more inconvenience after dear old Arty has been removed, I will subject her to a… fitting punishment."
LEP Forward Operating Base, Northern Ukraine
The LEP crew that had manned the base for the last few days were already packing it up. A part of Artemis took a moment to appreciate the remarkable efficiency with which they worked – all the tents and gadgets seemed able to be folded up into small packages, which the LEP employees did with practiced ease - but most of his thoughts were elsewhere. Holly's shuttle would be landing momentarily.
As if on cue, the hulking black craft materialized out of the dawn mist, unshielding and landing. The landing itself wasn't quite as smooth as Artemis was used to seeing, confirming his guess that Holly probably wouldn't be piloting after her ordeal. The doors opened.
Artemis knew it should feel good to actually see Holly again, after everything she had been through, but he couldn't quite bring himself to smile. Meeting her eyes seemed like a rather tall order as well.
The elf, apparently, did not share his concerns.
"Artemis!" she called and rushed forward to hug him. Needless to say, the display of trust and affection did little to improve the human's mood.
"Hold up," shouted Galadhon, moving toward the pair. "Captain Short needs urgent medical attention. Same goes for your bodyguard. You can have your adorable little reunion later."
Adorable? thought Artemis sarcastically. Not when she finds out I lied to her. Again.
The trio watched as Butler was transferred from the shuttle to a stretcher. It was messy, but (to their credit) the LEP officers did eventually manage it. Artemis fervently hoped a stretcher that was made for beings about a meter tall could support the man's enormous bulk.
Holly turned to her human friend, her eyes warm. "Alright, Mud Boy," she smiled, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "Catch up with you later. Thanks for getting me out of there."
Artemis averted his gaze. "Don't mention it," he muttered.
He and Galadhon stood side by side without speaking for a minute or two, watching as Holly joined Butler and the two were escorted toward the medical area (which had deliberately remained intact for this exact reason).
It was Galadhon who finally broke the silence. "She'll be OK, you know. Radiation might knock a few years of her life, but a few minutes with a warlock should mostly fix her up. Your bodyguard too."
Initially, the boy said nothing. This was merely confirmation of what he had already suspected, after all. But he knew there was a question that needed asking.
"What happens now?"
Galadhon shrugged. "In a few moments, what's left of Storm will head back to Pripyat to ID the bodies and round up any survivors that managed to get clear. We grabbed one of them when we were leaving – nasty piece of work called Oleksandr Orlov – so we'll formally interrogate him under the mesmer and see what information we can gather."
Another silence followed. Eventually, Galadhon turned to Artemis and looked him in the eye. "You did good today, kid," he said. "They wouldn't have made it back if it wasn't for you. As for Trouble, don't beat yourself up about it. Mistakes get made. There's no way you could have known what would happen."
Artemis refused to speak. Perhaps on another day he would have made it very clear that he was certainly not a "kid", or even offered thanks for the praise – after all, he was becoming more civil all the time. But not today. Finally, he managed to say the only thing that he could think of.
"I didn't know what would happen, not I couldn't. There is an important difference. I could have and should have known better. But I didn't, and now people are dead."
The boy set off before Galadhon could respond, walking briskly in the direction that he had seen Holly and Butler go without looking back. This was as good a time as any. Holly had to know that Trouble was dead, and it was far better coming from Artemis himself than someone else.
It didn't take long to find the designated medical area. It pretty much just consisted of two small tents and a larger one, arranged in the shape of a three-pointed star. Artemis headed towards the largest tent and poked his head through the flap. On one side, Butler's stretcher lay discarded and the bodyguard slept on an improvised double bed next to it. On the other side, Holly sat on what vaguely resembled a camp chair, conversing with a middle aged – in fairy terms – elfin warlock.
Holly turned as soon she heard Artemis enter, breaking into a smile when she saw him.
Artemis avoided her gaze, instead locking eyes with the warlock. "How is he?" he asked, gesturing at Butler.
"He should make a full recovery," came the reply. "Bit banged up, but nothing serious. Although, if he had been left much longer, there would have been serious risk of permanent brain damage."
Artemis turned from Butler's unconscious form to Holly. "Thank you – truly – for helping him. I don't know what I would do without him."
"I save his life, he steals my hospital bed," Holly joked, rolling her eyes.
"And you? Will you make a full recovery?"
The warlock answered the question for her. "Mentally – she should be fine, although I'm not fully qualified to judge. I will recommend that she sees a certified mental health professional once she returns to haven; victims of kidnapping often experience at least some level of emotional trauma. Physically – more or less. Her body will function perfectly well and there will be no permanent scarring, but the radiation will have serious long term affects. At worst, it could cut her life expectancy in half."
Artemis's shock was written all over his face. "Half?" he echoed, his normal eloquence entirely forgotten. "You have magic; surely there must be something you can do…?"
The elf shook his head. "Not me I'm afraid. Purging her system of the toxins requires magic that elves have not possessed for millennia. The only thing I can think of would be if you could somehow organize a healing from the demon warlock – what was his name? Number One or something ridiculous? – that was recently recovered from Hybras. I'd wager he could do it, but don't get your hopes up. From what I hear, the LEP command keep him under very tight guard. Every average Joe off the street doesn't get access to demon magic unfortunately."
Holly and Artemis shared a look. They both knew that Holly was hardly an "average Joe", and that they might have some influence with the little demon on account of being two of his closest friends in the world.
Artemis breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, if that is all, I would like a private word with Captain Short."
The warlock nodded and left. Holly raised an eyebrow at her human friend.
"We need to talk."
"I guessed that," replied the elf, growing increasingly concerned. "What about?"
Artemis twisted his interlaced fingers, seemingly unsure of exactly what to say. He carefully did not meet Holly's eyes.
"Firstly," he began. "I wish to apologize. I asked you to visit me. That fact caused everything that followed. What happened to you… it was because of what I did. I'm sorry."
Holly almost wanted to laugh. "Silly Mud Boy," she said. "Is that what's been bothering you? All this guilt because you think it's your fault I was kidnapped? Listen, Arty, you can't blame yourself for this. The first time I was kidnapped, I was there to complete the ritual after tangling with a troll – blaming you now would be like blaming the troll then."
Artemis took a moment to silently berate himself. Had he really allowed his guilt to be so obvious? He would have to keep a tighter leash on his emotions in the future.
For her part, Holly suddenly felt very foolish for thinking that that was what had been causing Artemis so much grief. The troubled teen did not seem to have to been cheered up by her analogy. Of course he wasn't - that wasn't what was bothering him. Artemis Fowl doesn't let such things cause him so much distress. There is something much bigger. The thought worried her. A lot.
"Holly," said Artemis, his voice barely above a whisper. "Trouble Kelp is dead."
Holly froze. Her whole body had gone cold. She couldn't move. Blood in her veins turned to ice. Trouble dead? It couldn't be. It couldn't. He had always been there for her. Always. Ever since she was a child he had been her rock. She was vaguely aware that she might be going into shock, but she didn't much care. In fact, she welcomed the numbness. It was far better to feel nothing but emptiness than the pain that would come later.
"How?" she eventually managed to croak. "In… in the rescue? He died trying to save me?" The thought was almost too terrible to contemplate.
Artemis looked haunted. "No," he said. "And yes."
Holly gave him a look that lacked comprehension.
"No, he didn't die in the rescue, but yes, he did die trying to save you."
Holly's face underwent several visual changes as she tried to absorb what she was being told.
"When? How?"
Artemis reached out and, in a rare gesture of physical contact, placed his hand over hers.
"A bit more than a day ago. He was murdered alongside his fairies with a bio-bomb. Killed by the same people that abducted and tortured you."
It took Holly a moment to work through the information. Once she realized what conclusion she was heading towards, she began to shake.
"More than a day ago… that's before we spoke. Why. Did. You. Not. Tell me?" she asked slowly, her tone low and dangerous. She shook off Artemis's hand and glared at him. "Well?" she demanded.
"Not before we spoke…" answered the boy hesitantly. "…during."
Holly felt like she been physically punched. Maybe there was some kind of reason why this wasn't what it looked like. Please, she thought desperately, please… He wouldn't. He…
He wouldn't what? Knowingly and intentionally lie to you? her other side taunted cruelly. Isn't that what you told yourself last time? How about the time before that?
It couldn't be true. But it was. She was sure of it. "I had to contact a colleague elsewhere. In light of your information I decided it would be wise to instruct him to withdraw lest he be in danger."That must have been the call he had made. He had found out about Trouble. And he lied to me. She was desperate to deny it, but she couldn't ignore the certainty in her gut.
Holly was speechless. She just sat there in shock. One of her best friends was dead, the other had betrayed her. It was too much to process.
Artemis leaned forward, his face highly concerned. "Holly?" he asked. "Holly, say something. Please. Please understand, I had to… I couldn't risk you being distracted.
"You…" his voice broke. "You had to live. You had to. There was no other choice. Please…"
Before Artemis had time to flinch or even widen his eyes, Holly's fist hit him square in the face. The boy collapsed in a heap and looked up his attacker. Holly stood over the human, her face twisted in anger.
"Don't you dare pretend like this was you trying to do the right thing," she shouted. "It doesn't suit people like you."
Artemis was too stunned to be hurt. "You hit me," he said in disbelief. It was exactly what he had said when Holly punched him in Fowl Manor after escaping from her cell, six years ago.
"Twelve again, are we?" replied Holly nastily. "Fitting, don't you think?"
Fearing further assault, Artemis cautiously got his feet and backed away. "I'm so sorry, I know you're hurting right now, and I know I've only made that worse. But please believe me, I only did what I thought would give you the best chance of escape."
"Don't lie. This wasn't about me; this was about you. Just like everything else. Artemis Fowl doesn't do things for other people."
The remark cut Artemis deeply, even Holly could see that, but she didn't care. A part of her was on the verge of hitting him again. She ignored how harrowed and broken the boy in front of her looked, instead choosing to focus on her own pain. It wasn't hard. The hatred came easily.
Artemis sat down. For a while he didn't say anything. When he did, his voice was haunted.
"You think this is all a game to me, don't you? That for me, the world is just one big game of chess, and that you and Butler and the LEP are all just pieces that I manipulate to try and win?" Holly didn't respond, but her expression told him that that was exactly what she thought right now. Artemis shook his head. "I tried that. I tried treating the world as a game, and I lost. I made the wrong moves, time and time again I got the people I cared about hurt, and finally I got Trouble killed. It was me. My fault. No-one else's."
Holly still refused to speak. She seemed like she was trying to decide if this revelation made her even angrier or not.
"I have to bear that," Artemis continued. "Every day I have to remember that it was me that got him killed. Holly, if you want to hate me, fine, but do it for the right reasons. Hate me losing you Trouble, but don't hate me for trying to save you."
"Don't tell me what to do, Mud Boy," Holly warned, flexing her fist. "I'll hate you for whatever reason I want."
Artemis gave a hollow laugh. A solitary tear slipped unbidden out of his hazel eye, the one that had once belonged to the elf that stood before him.
"You really don't understand, do you?" he said, still not looking at his friend. "You nearly died, Holly. You nearly died. How could I live with that, knowing that it was my fault. Knowing I sacrificed Trouble to try and save you, and then failed to do so."
"Stop trying to make out like it was you lying that saved me. Contrary to what you seem to believe, I am capable of doing my job, even if I am upset. I'm not some pathetic child who can't control my emotions – I'm an adult and a professional soldier."
Holly's certainty seemed to amuse Artemis slightly. "Ignore grief, Holly? Trust me I am fully aware of your impressive capabilities as a soldier – they've saved my life on more occasions than I can count – but it doesn't matter how good you are at your job; no-one can simply disregard the loss of a close friend. You want to talk about twelve-year-old me? Even he – as cold and detached as that monster was – couldn't ignore grief. And you are nothing like him. Don't ever try and be like him."
Something about what Artemis was saying managed to penetrate Holly's aura of fury, but she dismissed it. As tragic as Artemis looked in this guilt-ridden state, she refused to be weak. She would not allow herself to feel sorry for him.
"You talk about that monster like he's another person. Don't kid yourself – that person is you."
The tormented boy continued as if she hadn't spoken, his eyes still fixed on the floor. "Do you have any idea how close you actually came to dying?" he said softly. "My plan was so desperate and precarious that I'm still surprised I ever even considered going ahead with it. So many things went wrong, and you know what? We were still incredibly lucky that it worked even half as well as it did. I had to do everything in my power to give you the best chance of success. If you had been even slightly distracted, for a moment, everything could have fallen apart."
Holly stayed quiet this time. Even Artemis didn't realize quite how close things had got inside the Energetik. She knew that she was spectacularly lucky to be alive. Still, that didn't mean she was going to forgive him.
Artemis stood up and, for the first time since she had returned, locked eyes with the elf. Holly was struck by how empty her own eye looked as it stared back at her.
"I've made so many mistakes, caused so much misery, and I will live with that until the day I die. But it is also true that you are alive right now because of me. And that makes everything else worth it. Even if you refuse to ever speak to me again, it's worth it. I've seen you die once already - never again. I don't care what the cost is, because the alternative is too terrible."
Leaving Holly Short in furious silence, Artemis Fowl turned to leave. He walked to the tent entrance, but paused before leaving.
"I know that I used to be a monster, but… you said I changed. You sat with me and told me I wasn't that person anymore…" his voice was pleading, but so quiet that Holly barely heard him. It took her a moment to piece together what he had actually said, and another to realize that he was begging her to take back what she had said before.
The elf said nothing.
With one last look at Holly's defiant face, Artemis gave up. Distraught, he walked away, leaving Holly alone with her thoughts.
For a time, Holly simply stood there, unseeing, uncaring, allowing her anger to slowly dissipate. Eventually, the reality of the situation seemed to finally sink in. Trouble was gone. She would never see him again, never get to say goodbye. Suddenly, remaining standing felt like an incredible task. The elf sat down hard, dichromatic eyes shining with unshed tears.
When Opal had murdered her long-time friend and mentor, Julius Root, Holly had had someone tangible to blame. Someone to hate. But now all she had was some faceless demon with no name, and no identity. Some evil that had had her tortured and taken her friend. Some mystery foe that had torn her apart. She wanted nothing more than to vow some kind of dark retribution, but she didn't even have a target for it. One thing was for sure, though, she would find the person responsible for all this, and they would pay. She didn't care how long it took. She would make it happen.
If her previous suspicions were correct, then this person was planning war between fairies and humans, but saving the world was almost an afterthought. A secondary reason to hunt them. A big ball of hatred had been born, and it would have to be dealt with. And right now, Holly could only see one way of doing so, and it involved a neutrino set to a far higher setting than was recommended.
And Artemis? Holly's heart lurched. Why, Artemis, why? Why don't you ever learn? Why don't you ever stop hurting me? She wasn't angry any more, just sad. She remembered something Foaly had said a long time ago when she had first suggested that she and Artemis could be friends. "Sure, like you can be friends with a viper." Was he right? Had she spent all this time trying to change someone that couldn't be changed, befriending someone that would always be poisonous? She didn't want to believe that that was the case, but one thing was for sure: whatever friendship they may have had in the past, it was gone now. She wasn't going to let him hurt her anymore.
Holly Short put her head in her hands and cried.
A/N: Well, writing this pretty much broke my heart. Proof-reading it made me want to cry. I'm sorry. Obviously this is not actually the end of their friendship, in fact it says something similar in the sixth book (something like all Holly could Artemis could ever have was grudging respect, and obviously this did not end up being the case). However, there will be a short period during which Holly is not exactly keen on her human friend. Bear with it, they will make up eventually :)
I know Holly was pretty savage here, but she needs something to feel bad about it later - she can't just be a victim. It's also worth noting that there is a genuine plot related reason for Artemis lying to Holly and the ensuing conflict.
There will be a few more chapters of "aftermath" after this, but then we'll get back into the action. In the mean time, reviewing is always an option :D
-Kio