"What do you mean, you think it's the same training you had?" Foaly followed Butler into the kitchen.

The bodyguard spun around, his tall figure looming over Foaly as he frowned. "Quiet, Centaur." He hissed, looking around. "You don't know if or where Artemis may have put bugs."

Foaly rolled his eyes, "Now you sound as paranoid as him." He went over to his bag, grabbing a device that resembled a phone, but Butler knew better than to assume it was a standard smartphone, knowing fairy technology. Foaly tapped a few times on the screen. "There. I just sent out a buffer to cover 200 acres around us. Think it's enough?"

Butler leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding, slightly impressed. "That...Will do."

Foaly nodded, putting the phone back in his bag and leaning his back against the counter, sighing and closing his eyes. "Gods...If Root were here…"

"He would shoot Artemis between the eyes."

Foaly frowned this time. "He's not that cynical."

Butler raised an eyebrow at him, huffing out a short breath in disbelief. "I used Artemis' systems to get into the LEP files when he…'died.'" He started, "It wasn't hard with the way that Artemis had programmed his computers. And Myles helped when I couldn't understand the code."

"You roped in another Mud Man into this?" Foaly nearly spat. "Another Fowl? Are you insane?"

"Oh, please." Butler dismissed him. "Myles is extremely intelligent, but also very naive. He wouldn't stop talking when I asked him questions. Artemis' system is complex, but I was also able to get through the bypasses quickly."

Foaly rolled his eyes, huffing to himself this time. "Whatever you did, Mud Man-"

"No. It's what you didn't do." Butler interrupted him sternly, locking eyes with him. Foaly gulped harshly. Going head to head with Butler was not fun. Especially when he had that dead-serious expression on his face. "Artemis was missing for months. The LEP didn't even try to help him. They didn't lift a finger."

"It wasn't our business." Foaly countered. "You may think that we didn't do anything, but we didn't really have an obligation to either."

Butler nodded, still frowning. "And that is the problem. Your government won't even lift a finger to help others on the surface unless it impacts your society and culture."

"We were hunted for years before retreating below the surface." Foaly corrected him. "Don't talk about us being selfish."

"No, I will." Butler corrected him. "Because you have the secret for the entire world at your fingertips. Your technology and magic could help billions of people-"

"For people to bottle it up and ship it out for millions of dollars. To destroy our civilization." Foaly took a step forward, taking a deep breath. "We could have taken care of the Mud Man population eons ago. Instead, we live peacefully under the Earth and care for ourselves. Is that too much to ask? That we live separately from you?"

Butler sighed, looking away. He had a point, but the bodyguard had a bigger one. "We needed your technology when Artemis was taken. We wouldn't be in this situation if you had helped, and Holly wouldn't be hurt." Butler turned, looking down. "Doing nothing is sometimes worse. Think about that."

It was Foaly's turn to look down. "Look...Let's stop talking politics, alright? Because that is all this is. I don't run on my own. My technology is owned by the Council, and ultimately it's their decision on how to use it." He sighed. "Truce? Please? Fighting and bickering like this is not going to help us."

Butler rubbed his neck, taking a few calming breaths. He was letting his own personal emotions get the best of him, blaming Foaly for what had happened when in reality it wasn't a single person's fault. It was a collective mistake. "You're right." He muttered after a moment, turning back to him. "We have more pressing issues to discuss."

"Exactly." Foaly nodded, putting his hands on the counter and peering into the trash. Glass pieces and wiring of the memory flute were scattered across the bottom of the bag. "It's completely ruined. I couldn't even fix it if I wanted to."

"It would be useless." Butler sat down on a stool. "You saw what happened. It didn't have an effect on him."

Foaly clicked his tongue and shook his head, thinking back to what happened. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. He did do something."

Butler paused, then sighed and looked down, nodding. He knew what Foaly was getting at, but he had tried to not blame it on the memory flute. "He stabbed her."

"Yeah." Foaly nodded, "He got so enraged he hurt her. Butler, I told you there were two main possibilities with this flute and how it would affect him."

Butler shook his head, refusing to believe what Foaly was trying to say. "No. There's either another explanation, or there can be other reactions to the memory flute than that. This is experimental, even for you."

Foaly sighed, closing his eyes. "I know you don't want to believe he's gone…" He started. "But-"

"No." He cut him off firm, not wanting to hear it.

"But," Foaly continued, not letting himself be completely cut off and needing the mud man to hear what needed to be said. "We both agreed he wouldn't hurt her. And right after we zapped him, he stabbed Holly. That can't just be a huge coincidence. It means that there is a chance his memories of when we knew him are at war with memories he has from when he was missing."

"So...What does this mean?"

Foaly shook his head, looking down as he thought with a worried expression on his face. "It means...The two sides of him are fighting. And we better hope the Artemis we know emerges. Or else it's bad news for all of us. Especially Holly."

Butler knew he was right. They could walk out of Fowl Manor at any moment. Holly still had that choker around her neck and was being controlled by Artemis. Whether willing or not, she wasn't leaving Fowl Manor without Artemis. "We have to get to her."

Foaly nodded thoughtfully, his mind reeling as he thought. "Well, he's going to have to leave her alone eventually, right?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Holly sat against Artemis' knees, pressing her ear to his chest. She breathed deeply, letting herself calm down as she listened to his heart. It was soothing, having his arms around her. Even though the pain was still in her side, his warmth was drowning out what she was feeling physically.

Artemis rested his head on the top of Holly's head, feeling her hair against his chin. He held her close and tried to not put too much pressure on her side. His mind wandered away from holding her, staring at the door. There was still a vague pain in his shoulder from the memory of the bunker he had before. He sighed. Artemis hadn't felt that kind of pain in ages. Since he was in the bunker.

"Are you hungry?" He asked softly, pulling his chin up to look at her. Holly, startled from the noise after the long silence looked up at him with wide hazel eyes.

"What?" She pulled her hand up, rubbing her eyes. She was almost asleep when he had spoken.

Artemis smiled softly, tilting her head up to kiss her. "I asked if you were hungry." He murmured against her lips as he pulled away, brushing her hair away from her face with his fingers.

Holly nodded, taking the hand that was smoothing her hair back and kissing the palm of it. "You want me to stay here?" She asked quietly, knowing she didn't want to be in the middle of the three downstairs again.

Artemis nodded, looking back at the door and clearing his throat. "I'll have to make sure you stay here." He warned her. Holly nodded, raising an eyebrow.

"What? You have another high-tech lock?"

Artemis clicked his tongue, looking at her with another apology in his eyes. "Not exactly."

It took Holly a fraction of a second to realize what he was talking about, and she cocked her head. "Artemis…"

"I have to make sure you stay here." He pointed out. "You're the only leverage I have. We established that before even coming here."

"But it won't do us any good." Holly countered. "Don't you trust me?"

Artemis sighed, getting up and going to his bag. "It would make me feel better. I told you I don't trust anyone. I'm sorry, Holly. But even if I did trust you, I most definitely do not trust them."

Holly rolled her eyes, leaning back and bouncing her back against the headboard out of thought and mild frustration. "Fine." She muttered, holding out her wrist when Artemis came back over.

Artemis attached one part of the handcuffs to her wrist, bringing it up to the headboard and latching it there. He kissed her, pulling away after a second. "I'll be back."

The only response Holly had as he walked out the door was to roll her eyes and look away.