Escapes:
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for maybe Artemis Senior, whose personality scares me anyway.
IMPORTANT: I must say, even though I'm a small time writer living in a tiny and seedy apartment, I honestly expected lots of reviews. I'm like that. Thanx to the one person who bothered to read Chapter Two and review!!! For the rest, shame on you! Sry, must have eaten 2 many mnms!
Discovery:
Lower Elements Police Plaza:
"Commander Short! Commander Short!" The cry was urgent, and high-pitched. Rubbing her temple, Holly reflected on hiring all those teenage elves with the breaking voices. Maybe generosity wasn't such a good idea after all. "Yes, Lavinia?" she demanded of a delicate looking elf-girl only two feet tall.
"Captain Verbil would like to know what kind of doughnuts you prefer." Said the girl respectfully. Holly Short had acquired five inches during the last two months. Big growth for a little sprout. She now towered over many special people, and, to her amusement, was one inch taller than the three foot four inches Foaly.
"By the Acorn, another one?" groaned Holly irritably. Chix Verbil would never know a refusal to date him if it danced the hula in its underwear. She sighed. "Look, tell CAPTAIN Verbil that, if he wants to, he can order a slug filled with candy and deliver it personally to 17.14.14.19 Core Street at midnight." The pixie look-alike ran away to deliver its message.
Holly chuckled under her breath. The person who lived there certainly wasn't very good-looking, or patient. Commander Root would NOT like his surprise in the middle of the night. Holly only wished that she'd had the good sense to sneak a camera somewhere close by, to record the moment of truth.
Fowl Mansion:
Artemis was being punished. In his point of view, anyway. He'd never had to sit down with a parent and listen to them drone on and on about how bad he was. So, he did the only logical thing. He shut them out, only nodding once in a while.
And so, when he came back to the world, he found his father scowling at him. "You fell asleep." Said his father sharply. Artemis Senior sounded almost as bad as himself, Artemis reflected. Well, two could play at that game. "I don't need fools around me to tell me what to do." He said coolly, his eyes diamond hard. His father growled. "Listen, boy, I don't need someone who was sucking his thumb by the time I stole the Mona Lisa, and hung a fake in the Louvre, to tell ME what to do."
"How tedious for you," said Artemis Junior, studying his fingernails with a casual glance. "Why didn't you simply take control of the security cameras, snap a picture, and the next day, remove the painting? I, of course, immediately knew that it was fake. It won't be long before they start checking every crimelord's house, especially if I tip them off.."
The blood drained out of his father's face, and Artemis allowed himself a tiny smirk. "You wouldn't dare.." his father hissed menacingly. Carelessly, Artemis smiled, a carefree grin. "Try me." He whispered. As his father slumped forwards, he stepped out of the room. " And now," he said softly, "If you'll excuse me, I have a call to make. Business, you know."
As soon as he was in his own bedroom, Artemis spoke. "Mr. Diggums, I know you're here. You can come out now." Nothing moved. Artemis smirked. A smirking Artemis is a fearsome sight. Even his mother had learned not to argue with him when he had that look on his face. "Really, Diggums, you should know better than that. There's a stinking smell in the air, dwarf gas, I suspect, and there's a giant pile of blankets where there wasn't before. Care to make me guess where you are?"
The blankets shifted, and Mulch Diggums blinked into the sunlight. "Close the curtains, Mud Boy!" he shrieked suddenly. "I hate sunlight!" "Right, right." Said Artemis smoothly. "Keep your back flap on." He shot a grin at the irritated but solemn dwarf. "So where are the others?" he queried tensely.
"Downstairs, in your garden, posing as garden gnomes." Said Mulch easily, munching on one of the fruits in the fruit bowl next to him. Artemis considered Mulch's wrinkled face, and decided not to mention that they looked nothing like statues.
"So," Mulch tactfully changed the subject, "how do we do this 'Fort Knox' thing?" "Elementary, my digging colleague. Get us below Fort Knox's center of gold, and leave the rest to me." "What are you planning, Mud Boy.. er.. Fowl?" said Mulch suspiciously. Artemis grinned wolfishly. "Foaly's time- stop.. in a bomb."
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for maybe Artemis Senior, whose personality scares me anyway.
IMPORTANT: I must say, even though I'm a small time writer living in a tiny and seedy apartment, I honestly expected lots of reviews. I'm like that. Thanx to the one person who bothered to read Chapter Two and review!!! For the rest, shame on you! Sry, must have eaten 2 many mnms!
Discovery:
Lower Elements Police Plaza:
"Commander Short! Commander Short!" The cry was urgent, and high-pitched. Rubbing her temple, Holly reflected on hiring all those teenage elves with the breaking voices. Maybe generosity wasn't such a good idea after all. "Yes, Lavinia?" she demanded of a delicate looking elf-girl only two feet tall.
"Captain Verbil would like to know what kind of doughnuts you prefer." Said the girl respectfully. Holly Short had acquired five inches during the last two months. Big growth for a little sprout. She now towered over many special people, and, to her amusement, was one inch taller than the three foot four inches Foaly.
"By the Acorn, another one?" groaned Holly irritably. Chix Verbil would never know a refusal to date him if it danced the hula in its underwear. She sighed. "Look, tell CAPTAIN Verbil that, if he wants to, he can order a slug filled with candy and deliver it personally to 17.14.14.19 Core Street at midnight." The pixie look-alike ran away to deliver its message.
Holly chuckled under her breath. The person who lived there certainly wasn't very good-looking, or patient. Commander Root would NOT like his surprise in the middle of the night. Holly only wished that she'd had the good sense to sneak a camera somewhere close by, to record the moment of truth.
Fowl Mansion:
Artemis was being punished. In his point of view, anyway. He'd never had to sit down with a parent and listen to them drone on and on about how bad he was. So, he did the only logical thing. He shut them out, only nodding once in a while.
And so, when he came back to the world, he found his father scowling at him. "You fell asleep." Said his father sharply. Artemis Senior sounded almost as bad as himself, Artemis reflected. Well, two could play at that game. "I don't need fools around me to tell me what to do." He said coolly, his eyes diamond hard. His father growled. "Listen, boy, I don't need someone who was sucking his thumb by the time I stole the Mona Lisa, and hung a fake in the Louvre, to tell ME what to do."
"How tedious for you," said Artemis Junior, studying his fingernails with a casual glance. "Why didn't you simply take control of the security cameras, snap a picture, and the next day, remove the painting? I, of course, immediately knew that it was fake. It won't be long before they start checking every crimelord's house, especially if I tip them off.."
The blood drained out of his father's face, and Artemis allowed himself a tiny smirk. "You wouldn't dare.." his father hissed menacingly. Carelessly, Artemis smiled, a carefree grin. "Try me." He whispered. As his father slumped forwards, he stepped out of the room. " And now," he said softly, "If you'll excuse me, I have a call to make. Business, you know."
As soon as he was in his own bedroom, Artemis spoke. "Mr. Diggums, I know you're here. You can come out now." Nothing moved. Artemis smirked. A smirking Artemis is a fearsome sight. Even his mother had learned not to argue with him when he had that look on his face. "Really, Diggums, you should know better than that. There's a stinking smell in the air, dwarf gas, I suspect, and there's a giant pile of blankets where there wasn't before. Care to make me guess where you are?"
The blankets shifted, and Mulch Diggums blinked into the sunlight. "Close the curtains, Mud Boy!" he shrieked suddenly. "I hate sunlight!" "Right, right." Said Artemis smoothly. "Keep your back flap on." He shot a grin at the irritated but solemn dwarf. "So where are the others?" he queried tensely.
"Downstairs, in your garden, posing as garden gnomes." Said Mulch easily, munching on one of the fruits in the fruit bowl next to him. Artemis considered Mulch's wrinkled face, and decided not to mention that they looked nothing like statues.
"So," Mulch tactfully changed the subject, "how do we do this 'Fort Knox' thing?" "Elementary, my digging colleague. Get us below Fort Knox's center of gold, and leave the rest to me." "What are you planning, Mud Boy.. er.. Fowl?" said Mulch suspiciously. Artemis grinned wolfishly. "Foaly's time- stop.. in a bomb."