(Ok here go's...this is fun! Hope you like it!) DivaLuna*
[Chapter 3]
The car was waiting and Mulch threw the keys at the girl and opened the drivers side door, motioning her to get in. She stared at them in her hand and looked up perplexed.
"You can drive, can't you?" he said, "I would have gotten another mode of transportation if I had not been told you could handle these mudmen...I mean cars," he ended lamely as she noticed for want seemed the first time his small stature. "No, I know how to drive," she said getting in, he slammed the door behind her and went around the other side and got in himself,
"But not legally, " she added and smiled for the first time in his company. "Want do you mean? How old are you?" he asked and then said, "Better yet tell me who the heck that was." "Who?" she said as she started the engine and backed up onto the gravel driveway.
"You didn't just ask me who, did you? I mean really...the guy who was trying to kill you," he said exasperatedly and turned to watch the doors of the Intuition as they burst open and security guards ran out with flash lights. "Pathetic," he added under his breath. "Well he might not have been trying to kill me," she said as she drove down the twisted wooded back roads at an alarming speed. "Most likely kidnaping me was the plan," she said swerving to avoid a black SUV, "Those vehicles are so obnoxious, they think they own the roads." "Most likely," he said copying her and glanced darkly out the window to see the black SUV swerve in the road behind them, turning and start to follow them. "We had company," Mulch said and she turned glancing quickly out the back window, "Friends of yours?" he added, raising one eyebrow. "Who the hell could that be?" she said ignoring what he had said, she stepped on the gas pedal.
"This was not part of the deal, the deal was I would easily retrieve a girl from a crazy rich kids intuition and drop her, again easily at the train station, doing a favor to a powerful on-line persona." "Hey you owed Shifter a favor?" she said and just then the SUV back ended their car and it careened off the road.
*
Alexis's face was slammed into the steering wheel, blooded trickling down her forehead. She grasped the head in her hands, breathing hard trying to piece together what had just happened.
"Are you ok kid?" he asked panting and she nodded. They both turned to look out the back of their crumpled car and saw flash lights and raised voices. "Over here," someone shouted. "We have to get out of here," Alexis said trying to see threw the mist that was clouding her eyes. He nodded and watched as she reached into her jacket pocket and brought out a semi automatic hand gun.
"What the hell is that?" he asked, and the shook his head, "You are not using that to get us out of here," he said and fished around the back seat. "We'll use these," he said and handed her a pistol. The barrel was right blue and etched on the side was Demon 2000. "Firepower," was all she said and kicked open the car door and threw herself to the ground opening fire.
*
Shifter hadn't been kidding, this girl was crazy. They were trapped behind the wreck of their car. At first it looked like they would have no trouble getting out of this but there had been more people with guns then they had expected, and they definitely wanted them dead.
"Who are these people?" Mulch asked, as he peered around the bumper and quickly retreated as bullets imbedded themselves into the steel of the car, "And why do they want you dead?" She didn't answer right away but stared out into the darkening woods.
"If I knew we wouldn't be here right now," she said biting her lip, "But I'll find out." Mulch glanced around the bumper again and again a round of bullets were fired at him. "I think they might..." he turned and the girl wasn't there anymore. "O no," was all he could bring himself to say. That's when he be began to hear the shouts of confusion.
*
Alexis sprinted across the grass and undergrowth in the darkness coming up behind a dark figure, she dealt a precise blow to the head and the man crumpled but not before he fired a shot into the night. Immediately shouting could be heard between the trees, as the unconscious man's walky- talky beeped urgently in his back pocket. She bent to pick it up and listen between the static voices,
"Were in the hell are they?" one voice said before being interrupted by, "On your left, further now, move, move." Alexis walked swiftly between the trees, eyes watchful for movement in the darkness, she kept the walky-talky to her ear. Catching two more men unaware, she figured there had to be at least five more people out there who wanted her dead. Some one spoke behind her,
"Stand up and put your hands behind your back." Alexis did turn and kicked his gun out of his hands, planting a fist in his face. She would have liked to ask him some questions but she wasn't as strong as him, he would overpower her in a matter of minutes, so she had no choice but to knock him senseless.
"Were are you?" Alexis twisted but no one was behind her, "Can you hear me? Girl are you there? Don't tell me you dropped the gun." "Who's there?" Alexis asked to the air.
"Its me, there's a com unite in the handle of your Demon pistol. What did you think you where doing running off like that, you want to get killed?" "Sorry," Alexis said a little confused.
"I mean I could just go tell Shifter that the mission was compensated and that you where lost to the enemy or who ever they are, which you are going to soon be if you don't get back here now." "There would not be anyone to tell," Alexis said under her breath. "What did you say?" Alexis didn't see the point in lying, without this guy she was dead, "I'm Shifter," she said and was unexpectedly hit from behind. She fell to the ground and rolled so she landed on her feet again.
"What do you mean your Shifter," came over the com unite but Alexis was to busy avoiding bullets. Twisted she pressed her back to a tree peering at her attacker or attackers as it turned out. A bullet whizzed past her nose imbedding its self in a tree. "Stop shooting you idiot, we need her alive," a voice said. "Sorry commander," was the answer and Alexis heard the crunch of feet on the forest floor on her right and left, they were boxing her in.
"But she doesn't have to be in one piece," added the commander and his men chuckled. Alexis tried to think of a way out, someway she could escape. But her mind was still clouded from the crash. She closed her eyes and curled her fingers into fists, waiting. And heard whizz pop, whizz pop, whizz pop, whizz pop...
She opened her eyes, "What do you mean your Shifter?" he asked pointing a humming Demon 2000 in her face. Alexis cleared her throat, her hands uncurling, she spoke her voice shaking only a little, "I mean what I said." He looked at her, his eyes carefully assessing her, from her beaten up sneakers to her uncombed hair, "Why?" he asked lowering the Demon pistol.
"Because I had too!" she said, "My parents locked me up in a nut house because I refused to let them copy my patents, meaning dad can't buy that new car he wanted, also meaning mom can't freely go on shopping sprees." She was almost shouting now, her original cool gone. "They may be my parents by blood but they could be complete strangers if there wasn't a copy of my birth certificate in the hospital computer records," she stopped, out of breath.
He didn't say anything for a moment and then he asked, "But why pay someone to kidnap you? Why not just runaway?" "Because if I was kidnapped and never found everyone, including my parents would think I was dead. I left a few clues to point them in the right direction," she said and then added, "The man who tried to kidnap me made my story look even more plausible, but I can tell you now I have no idea who he or these guys are," she said gesturing to the bodies on the forest floor, "Or why they are after me."
He didn't look convinced, "I don't know your story doesn't completely add up, neither does your plan." She lips twitch into a smile, "Well I am supposed to be crazy." He nodded, "Ok Shifter we better get out of here and sort things out later," he said and he began to turn, she stopped him,
"My name is Alexis, that's one thing my parents gave me that I am keeping." He nodded again, "My names Mulch Diggums and that's all you really need to know about me," he said and turned heading back to their wreck of a car. They got their stuff out, there wasn't much. Alexis had her duffel bag and Mulch dragged out a black suit case out of the back seat. Alexis tucked the paper bag under her sweatshirt and asked, "Were are we going?"
Mulch didn't answer but walked towards the road, Alexis followed not so happy at being ignored. The black SUV was parked on the side of the road its doors open, no one was inside. "You drive," Much said, throwing his suitcase in the back seat. Alexis got and pushed her bag under the seat, the keys were still in the ignition. "Where too?" She asked as she started the engine. "Just drive," he said as he checked the back seat and searched threw the bags and equipment.
"There's a lot of junk back here," he said and she heard a lot on banging and she thought cursing but it was no cursing she had ever heard. "O hell," he said, and she heard what she thought was him banging his head against the side of the car. "What are you doing?" she asked, trying to see what he was doing and drive at the same time. She slowed and turned off to the side of the road, "What are you doing?" she asked again. "Keep driving," he said angrily and she stepped on the accelerator, "Look what you've got me into!" he shouted and pushed a laptop into her face and she studied a picture of him, "I think its a good shot," she said and quickly went back to watching the road. "They know who I am, they have my name," he said throwing the laptop to the floor, "How is that possible?" he added.
"Don't throw expensive equipment around like that, and I have no idea, I didn't tell them!" she said throwing him a 'telling the truth' look, it seem to work. "Ok we have to go somewhere to sort this all out," he said. "It will have to be your place," she said and he nodded.
* This was crazy, what was he doing? This was going to kill him, you should never get involved with mudmen and their problems. They had parked the SUV outside a police station and had taken a bus to his bungalow, he didn't speak and neither did she. They climbed the stairs bypassing the elevator, she didn't ask any questions. Opening the door he dropped his stuff on the floor,
"If you want to wash up, there is a bathroom over there...you can put your stuff on the couch...I'm just going to check my messages." She didn't answer but walked to the bathroom with her bags still in her hands and closed the door, and soon after the sound of the shower. He sighed sinking to the couch, this had gone terribly wrong and he didn't know what to do! He hit the flashing red light on his answering machine. Another one from his mother as well as a telemarketer, and again there was the voice like last time,
"I don't know how you do business underground but there are some rules we have up here that you don't seem to understand, so Butler and I are going to pay you a visit to straiten everything out," and that was it. "O, Crap," said Mulch using another adopted mudmen curse. "Something wrong?" said Alexis from the doorway fully dressed in jeans and t-shirt.
"No, nothing wrong. Just somehow I have gotten myself entangled with a rich psycho with big ideas and big bodyguards, as well as a crazy powerful on-line persona who has people who what to kill her. Both who aren't old enough to drive, vote, or drink." he said and then added, "Just my luck."
*
Artemis Fowl looked out the window of the black limo. The streets were darkening and the streetlight had begun to come on. He was tempted to ask Butler if they were there yet but couldn't quit bring himself to. He had planned what he was going to say, he had to make sure his investments were secure and Mulch was in this case the investment. Butler parked the limo on the road and Artemis opened the car door before Butler could, he was so in a rush.
"Come on Butler, I want to get this over with," he said striding to the double doors, this time he waited for Butler to open them. They hit the elevator up button and Mulch would have seen them from his security cameras if he hadn't been arguing with Alexis, that was why there were almost invisible cameras in the elevator and the staircase, so he could keep an eye on his visitors.
Artemis stared at the doors as they closed and the elevator began its clime, if Mulch wasn't home Artemis had decided to wait for him, this had to be resolved now. The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, Artemis walked down the hall, Butler following him a little slower. Artemis had been here before and knew which door belonged to Mulch. Pushing the bell, not really waiting for an answer he then motioned for Butler to bust down the door.
As the dust and splinters settled he was confronted with the astonished face of Mulch Diggums and a the wide eyes of a girl about his age. He studied her for a brief moment, her brown hair was still wet and uncombed. Her eyes where green but Artemis suspected they were color contacts, she shorter then him and he dismissed her as unimportant and turned to Mulch,
"Who's this Mulch? A friend of yours?" he asked, stepping into the room. "Right now isn't a good time," Mulch said rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. The girl didn't even glance at him, "They shouldn't be here," she said turning her back to exclude Artemis, who wondered if he was losing his edge. "I know, I know! I didn't plan this," answered Mulch and turned to Artemis, "Really Artemis this isn't a good time, we'll talk about our deal some other time," he said and whispered under his breath, "If I survive this that is." Artemis didn't like this at all said,
"Mulch I don't think you understand..." and that is as far as he got because the windows blew out, glass shattering in every direction.
(Thank you everyone who has reviewed my fanfic and to those who are going to! How Alexis accessed the internet illegally will be explained as well as what's in the paper bag.) DivaLuna* (REVIEW, otherwise my day will be very boring!)
(Deesse-De-Lune I can't beleive you didn't tell Ghost Dancer and me you were writing fanfics *she said in a miffed tone* O well, *winks* I'm going to give you a hard time anyway!) DivaLuna*
The car was waiting and Mulch threw the keys at the girl and opened the drivers side door, motioning her to get in. She stared at them in her hand and looked up perplexed.
"You can drive, can't you?" he said, "I would have gotten another mode of transportation if I had not been told you could handle these mudmen...I mean cars," he ended lamely as she noticed for want seemed the first time his small stature. "No, I know how to drive," she said getting in, he slammed the door behind her and went around the other side and got in himself,
"But not legally, " she added and smiled for the first time in his company. "Want do you mean? How old are you?" he asked and then said, "Better yet tell me who the heck that was." "Who?" she said as she started the engine and backed up onto the gravel driveway.
"You didn't just ask me who, did you? I mean really...the guy who was trying to kill you," he said exasperatedly and turned to watch the doors of the Intuition as they burst open and security guards ran out with flash lights. "Pathetic," he added under his breath. "Well he might not have been trying to kill me," she said as she drove down the twisted wooded back roads at an alarming speed. "Most likely kidnaping me was the plan," she said swerving to avoid a black SUV, "Those vehicles are so obnoxious, they think they own the roads." "Most likely," he said copying her and glanced darkly out the window to see the black SUV swerve in the road behind them, turning and start to follow them. "We had company," Mulch said and she turned glancing quickly out the back window, "Friends of yours?" he added, raising one eyebrow. "Who the hell could that be?" she said ignoring what he had said, she stepped on the gas pedal.
"This was not part of the deal, the deal was I would easily retrieve a girl from a crazy rich kids intuition and drop her, again easily at the train station, doing a favor to a powerful on-line persona." "Hey you owed Shifter a favor?" she said and just then the SUV back ended their car and it careened off the road.
*
Alexis's face was slammed into the steering wheel, blooded trickling down her forehead. She grasped the head in her hands, breathing hard trying to piece together what had just happened.
"Are you ok kid?" he asked panting and she nodded. They both turned to look out the back of their crumpled car and saw flash lights and raised voices. "Over here," someone shouted. "We have to get out of here," Alexis said trying to see threw the mist that was clouding her eyes. He nodded and watched as she reached into her jacket pocket and brought out a semi automatic hand gun.
"What the hell is that?" he asked, and the shook his head, "You are not using that to get us out of here," he said and fished around the back seat. "We'll use these," he said and handed her a pistol. The barrel was right blue and etched on the side was Demon 2000. "Firepower," was all she said and kicked open the car door and threw herself to the ground opening fire.
*
Shifter hadn't been kidding, this girl was crazy. They were trapped behind the wreck of their car. At first it looked like they would have no trouble getting out of this but there had been more people with guns then they had expected, and they definitely wanted them dead.
"Who are these people?" Mulch asked, as he peered around the bumper and quickly retreated as bullets imbedded themselves into the steel of the car, "And why do they want you dead?" She didn't answer right away but stared out into the darkening woods.
"If I knew we wouldn't be here right now," she said biting her lip, "But I'll find out." Mulch glanced around the bumper again and again a round of bullets were fired at him. "I think they might..." he turned and the girl wasn't there anymore. "O no," was all he could bring himself to say. That's when he be began to hear the shouts of confusion.
*
Alexis sprinted across the grass and undergrowth in the darkness coming up behind a dark figure, she dealt a precise blow to the head and the man crumpled but not before he fired a shot into the night. Immediately shouting could be heard between the trees, as the unconscious man's walky- talky beeped urgently in his back pocket. She bent to pick it up and listen between the static voices,
"Were in the hell are they?" one voice said before being interrupted by, "On your left, further now, move, move." Alexis walked swiftly between the trees, eyes watchful for movement in the darkness, she kept the walky-talky to her ear. Catching two more men unaware, she figured there had to be at least five more people out there who wanted her dead. Some one spoke behind her,
"Stand up and put your hands behind your back." Alexis did turn and kicked his gun out of his hands, planting a fist in his face. She would have liked to ask him some questions but she wasn't as strong as him, he would overpower her in a matter of minutes, so she had no choice but to knock him senseless.
"Were are you?" Alexis twisted but no one was behind her, "Can you hear me? Girl are you there? Don't tell me you dropped the gun." "Who's there?" Alexis asked to the air.
"Its me, there's a com unite in the handle of your Demon pistol. What did you think you where doing running off like that, you want to get killed?" "Sorry," Alexis said a little confused.
"I mean I could just go tell Shifter that the mission was compensated and that you where lost to the enemy or who ever they are, which you are going to soon be if you don't get back here now." "There would not be anyone to tell," Alexis said under her breath. "What did you say?" Alexis didn't see the point in lying, without this guy she was dead, "I'm Shifter," she said and was unexpectedly hit from behind. She fell to the ground and rolled so she landed on her feet again.
"What do you mean your Shifter," came over the com unite but Alexis was to busy avoiding bullets. Twisted she pressed her back to a tree peering at her attacker or attackers as it turned out. A bullet whizzed past her nose imbedding its self in a tree. "Stop shooting you idiot, we need her alive," a voice said. "Sorry commander," was the answer and Alexis heard the crunch of feet on the forest floor on her right and left, they were boxing her in.
"But she doesn't have to be in one piece," added the commander and his men chuckled. Alexis tried to think of a way out, someway she could escape. But her mind was still clouded from the crash. She closed her eyes and curled her fingers into fists, waiting. And heard whizz pop, whizz pop, whizz pop, whizz pop...
She opened her eyes, "What do you mean your Shifter?" he asked pointing a humming Demon 2000 in her face. Alexis cleared her throat, her hands uncurling, she spoke her voice shaking only a little, "I mean what I said." He looked at her, his eyes carefully assessing her, from her beaten up sneakers to her uncombed hair, "Why?" he asked lowering the Demon pistol.
"Because I had too!" she said, "My parents locked me up in a nut house because I refused to let them copy my patents, meaning dad can't buy that new car he wanted, also meaning mom can't freely go on shopping sprees." She was almost shouting now, her original cool gone. "They may be my parents by blood but they could be complete strangers if there wasn't a copy of my birth certificate in the hospital computer records," she stopped, out of breath.
He didn't say anything for a moment and then he asked, "But why pay someone to kidnap you? Why not just runaway?" "Because if I was kidnapped and never found everyone, including my parents would think I was dead. I left a few clues to point them in the right direction," she said and then added, "The man who tried to kidnap me made my story look even more plausible, but I can tell you now I have no idea who he or these guys are," she said gesturing to the bodies on the forest floor, "Or why they are after me."
He didn't look convinced, "I don't know your story doesn't completely add up, neither does your plan." She lips twitch into a smile, "Well I am supposed to be crazy." He nodded, "Ok Shifter we better get out of here and sort things out later," he said and he began to turn, she stopped him,
"My name is Alexis, that's one thing my parents gave me that I am keeping." He nodded again, "My names Mulch Diggums and that's all you really need to know about me," he said and turned heading back to their wreck of a car. They got their stuff out, there wasn't much. Alexis had her duffel bag and Mulch dragged out a black suit case out of the back seat. Alexis tucked the paper bag under her sweatshirt and asked, "Were are we going?"
Mulch didn't answer but walked towards the road, Alexis followed not so happy at being ignored. The black SUV was parked on the side of the road its doors open, no one was inside. "You drive," Much said, throwing his suitcase in the back seat. Alexis got and pushed her bag under the seat, the keys were still in the ignition. "Where too?" She asked as she started the engine. "Just drive," he said as he checked the back seat and searched threw the bags and equipment.
"There's a lot of junk back here," he said and she heard a lot on banging and she thought cursing but it was no cursing she had ever heard. "O hell," he said, and she heard what she thought was him banging his head against the side of the car. "What are you doing?" she asked, trying to see what he was doing and drive at the same time. She slowed and turned off to the side of the road, "What are you doing?" she asked again. "Keep driving," he said angrily and she stepped on the accelerator, "Look what you've got me into!" he shouted and pushed a laptop into her face and she studied a picture of him, "I think its a good shot," she said and quickly went back to watching the road. "They know who I am, they have my name," he said throwing the laptop to the floor, "How is that possible?" he added.
"Don't throw expensive equipment around like that, and I have no idea, I didn't tell them!" she said throwing him a 'telling the truth' look, it seem to work. "Ok we have to go somewhere to sort this all out," he said. "It will have to be your place," she said and he nodded.
* This was crazy, what was he doing? This was going to kill him, you should never get involved with mudmen and their problems. They had parked the SUV outside a police station and had taken a bus to his bungalow, he didn't speak and neither did she. They climbed the stairs bypassing the elevator, she didn't ask any questions. Opening the door he dropped his stuff on the floor,
"If you want to wash up, there is a bathroom over there...you can put your stuff on the couch...I'm just going to check my messages." She didn't answer but walked to the bathroom with her bags still in her hands and closed the door, and soon after the sound of the shower. He sighed sinking to the couch, this had gone terribly wrong and he didn't know what to do! He hit the flashing red light on his answering machine. Another one from his mother as well as a telemarketer, and again there was the voice like last time,
"I don't know how you do business underground but there are some rules we have up here that you don't seem to understand, so Butler and I are going to pay you a visit to straiten everything out," and that was it. "O, Crap," said Mulch using another adopted mudmen curse. "Something wrong?" said Alexis from the doorway fully dressed in jeans and t-shirt.
"No, nothing wrong. Just somehow I have gotten myself entangled with a rich psycho with big ideas and big bodyguards, as well as a crazy powerful on-line persona who has people who what to kill her. Both who aren't old enough to drive, vote, or drink." he said and then added, "Just my luck."
*
Artemis Fowl looked out the window of the black limo. The streets were darkening and the streetlight had begun to come on. He was tempted to ask Butler if they were there yet but couldn't quit bring himself to. He had planned what he was going to say, he had to make sure his investments were secure and Mulch was in this case the investment. Butler parked the limo on the road and Artemis opened the car door before Butler could, he was so in a rush.
"Come on Butler, I want to get this over with," he said striding to the double doors, this time he waited for Butler to open them. They hit the elevator up button and Mulch would have seen them from his security cameras if he hadn't been arguing with Alexis, that was why there were almost invisible cameras in the elevator and the staircase, so he could keep an eye on his visitors.
Artemis stared at the doors as they closed and the elevator began its clime, if Mulch wasn't home Artemis had decided to wait for him, this had to be resolved now. The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, Artemis walked down the hall, Butler following him a little slower. Artemis had been here before and knew which door belonged to Mulch. Pushing the bell, not really waiting for an answer he then motioned for Butler to bust down the door.
As the dust and splinters settled he was confronted with the astonished face of Mulch Diggums and a the wide eyes of a girl about his age. He studied her for a brief moment, her brown hair was still wet and uncombed. Her eyes where green but Artemis suspected they were color contacts, she shorter then him and he dismissed her as unimportant and turned to Mulch,
"Who's this Mulch? A friend of yours?" he asked, stepping into the room. "Right now isn't a good time," Mulch said rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. The girl didn't even glance at him, "They shouldn't be here," she said turning her back to exclude Artemis, who wondered if he was losing his edge. "I know, I know! I didn't plan this," answered Mulch and turned to Artemis, "Really Artemis this isn't a good time, we'll talk about our deal some other time," he said and whispered under his breath, "If I survive this that is." Artemis didn't like this at all said,
"Mulch I don't think you understand..." and that is as far as he got because the windows blew out, glass shattering in every direction.
(Thank you everyone who has reviewed my fanfic and to those who are going to! How Alexis accessed the internet illegally will be explained as well as what's in the paper bag.) DivaLuna* (REVIEW, otherwise my day will be very boring!)
(Deesse-De-Lune I can't beleive you didn't tell Ghost Dancer and me you were writing fanfics *she said in a miffed tone* O well, *winks* I'm going to give you a hard time anyway!) DivaLuna*