Escapes:
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except, hey, I don't even own anything! Shoot!
Thanx to Isis the Artemis fan, Kyra_Moonshine, and Princess Karita! I really needed that confidence boost. And, Kyra, what's with the secret weapon? I'm not a government official. *looks fearfully behind self*
Alarm:
LEP Hallways:
Butler was getting incredibly tired of running with no one to ask directions from. The empty halls could get lonely after a while, especially with no complaining Artemis to take care of. That was his job, and he liked it. Having to catch punches from maniacal fairies. Having to grab caviar from the kitchen, because Artemis felt peckish. Having to help Artemis train himself, and find his chi. Without that certain part of his life, he felt . . . incomplete.
Someone came out of the hallway intersection, and Butler nearly crashed into her. "S- Sorry." He stuttered, as an angry looking Holly Short levitated above him, holding a Neutrino 3000. It wouldn't do to antagonize a person who could get him out of these damn hallways. Then again, it would do to antagonize the person who had made Master Artemis do pushups, and situps. Then again, Commander had done that.
Then he noticed one thing. Her buzz baton wasn't aimed at him. Neither was her angry glare. They were all coming from behind him. For him, she had reserved some particularly painful kicks, in particularly painful spots. "So." She muttered under her breath. "You've turned traitor, Butler. Led the Mud Men down here like so many nestlings to a home. You'll see. Fairykind doesn't fall as easily as that." Butler turned to deny it, to say that he was no mercenary. But a final kick, to his head, sent his consciousness spinning into darkness.
"You are mercenaries from the surface of the earth. We of fairykind have no dealings with you. You have no dealings with us. Why have you come down to attack us?" Holly asked. She hated that speech, but, according to the Book, it was standard procedure when great lumping Mud Men came down to kill you. It worked especially well when the Mud Men were mercenaries.
One man limped out from behind the others. His face was grizzled with scars and heavy bruises, and he wore a metal leg. But his voice rang out clear in the silent hallways, and it was obvious that he was the leader of their little band. "Hello, fairy." He said evenly, "I have a feeling we have met before." Holly tried to distinguish him from the melted blob of images that was her memory.
And suddenly, it all pieced together. A man who clutched desperately at her body as she attempted to pull him out of the water. Commander Root yelling commands that were sounded out by Holly, who needed to concentrate. The Golden Acorn award, and the lapel of Commander, all because she had saved a life, though a Mud Man. She suddenly felt dizzy.
To herself, she swore. "D'Arvit! The memory wipe didn't take." She tried to swear quietly, but the Mud Man heard her anyway. "Yes, the memory wipes didn't take." He said, smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, which remained a frosty blue color. Irreverently, Holly found herself thinking that Artemis must have gotten his eyes from his father. "So, you are. . ."
"Yes. I am Artemis' father." He smiled again, but this time, it wasn't a smile at all. It was more of a twisted and painful smirk. He gestured behind him at his men. "Tie her up. Knock her out if you have to. We don't need a scratching wildcat to haul back to the surface." "But, Boss. If you don't need the wildcat, why are you taking her back?" Artemis Senior smiled tightly. "I need a guarantee that my son won't fight when I come for him, and I have memories of these two. Rescuing me."
He knelt down to croon mockingly at Holly. "Any regrets rescuing me now, fairy?" he spat at her. She ducked and spat at him as well. It caught him in the face. He hissed in fury. Standing up, he made a small gesture with his two fingers. Immediately, Holly felt another tranquilizer bite into her neck. Her last thoughts seemed to spin through her head, which were "Why didn't I realize? Realize? Realize? . . . . ."
Operation Booth:
Foaly stared at the mini soap opera on the screens, half- unbelieving. It didn't help where the hypodermic needle got Holly. "Come on, Short!" he nearly yelled. "Can't you see it?" It became obvious that she couldn't hear him when her head twirled dazedly, and sank down.
He had to alert everyone, but how? Then it hit him, and he cursed himself for an idiot. Gnommish! Then, he remembered that the little Mud Boy, Fowl, understood Gnommish as well. Foaly sweated heavily, and began praying to the Acorn that the sayings weren't true, and that father was nothing like son.
South Field: In Training:
"Attention! Attention!" The first burst was English, then it burst into a babble of Gnommish that even Artemis found a bit hard to follow, though he could catch a hint of "Mud Man's Father. . Coming. . Destroy. . LEP. ." Apparently, though, even if Artemis couldn't understand it, the fairies could. Several pounced on him, and began beating him up, and he was actually thankful to Commander Root for making him practice his punches on walls, and, for once in his life, he fought back.
He had barely begun (and received several bruises, and two black eyes) when a strong, purpled hand hauled him up, and he was staring into the flaming pitted eyes of Commander Root. "Alright, Mud Boy. Tell me that you had nothing to do with this, and I'll punch you." One of the boys looked confused, then asked the Commander: "Wouldn't it be OR I'll punch you, with all due respect, sir?"
Commander Root rolled his eyes. "Alright." He retorted, feigning a calmness that he didn't feel. "Tell me you had nothing to do with this fiasco OR I'll punch you, Fowl." He glared at the junior officers. "Is that all right, then?" he demanded. They nodded, and skipped away. (Yes, they really skipped!) Artemis cleared his voice, and spoke. "I assure you, Commander, I had absolutely nothing to do with this."
"Is that right?" asked the commander grimly. Artemis gave a cursory but curt nod. Commander Root punched him anyway. The way things were going, he needed a little amusement to keep him busy. Surely no one could blame him for that?
Well, well, well. No action whatsoever, just a lot of talking. Next chapter will be better, I hope, but you'll have to wait a while. My alter-egos and I are going camping!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except, hey, I don't even own anything! Shoot!
Thanx to Isis the Artemis fan, Kyra_Moonshine, and Princess Karita! I really needed that confidence boost. And, Kyra, what's with the secret weapon? I'm not a government official. *looks fearfully behind self*
Alarm:
LEP Hallways:
Butler was getting incredibly tired of running with no one to ask directions from. The empty halls could get lonely after a while, especially with no complaining Artemis to take care of. That was his job, and he liked it. Having to catch punches from maniacal fairies. Having to grab caviar from the kitchen, because Artemis felt peckish. Having to help Artemis train himself, and find his chi. Without that certain part of his life, he felt . . . incomplete.
Someone came out of the hallway intersection, and Butler nearly crashed into her. "S- Sorry." He stuttered, as an angry looking Holly Short levitated above him, holding a Neutrino 3000. It wouldn't do to antagonize a person who could get him out of these damn hallways. Then again, it would do to antagonize the person who had made Master Artemis do pushups, and situps. Then again, Commander had done that.
Then he noticed one thing. Her buzz baton wasn't aimed at him. Neither was her angry glare. They were all coming from behind him. For him, she had reserved some particularly painful kicks, in particularly painful spots. "So." She muttered under her breath. "You've turned traitor, Butler. Led the Mud Men down here like so many nestlings to a home. You'll see. Fairykind doesn't fall as easily as that." Butler turned to deny it, to say that he was no mercenary. But a final kick, to his head, sent his consciousness spinning into darkness.
"You are mercenaries from the surface of the earth. We of fairykind have no dealings with you. You have no dealings with us. Why have you come down to attack us?" Holly asked. She hated that speech, but, according to the Book, it was standard procedure when great lumping Mud Men came down to kill you. It worked especially well when the Mud Men were mercenaries.
One man limped out from behind the others. His face was grizzled with scars and heavy bruises, and he wore a metal leg. But his voice rang out clear in the silent hallways, and it was obvious that he was the leader of their little band. "Hello, fairy." He said evenly, "I have a feeling we have met before." Holly tried to distinguish him from the melted blob of images that was her memory.
And suddenly, it all pieced together. A man who clutched desperately at her body as she attempted to pull him out of the water. Commander Root yelling commands that were sounded out by Holly, who needed to concentrate. The Golden Acorn award, and the lapel of Commander, all because she had saved a life, though a Mud Man. She suddenly felt dizzy.
To herself, she swore. "D'Arvit! The memory wipe didn't take." She tried to swear quietly, but the Mud Man heard her anyway. "Yes, the memory wipes didn't take." He said, smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, which remained a frosty blue color. Irreverently, Holly found herself thinking that Artemis must have gotten his eyes from his father. "So, you are. . ."
"Yes. I am Artemis' father." He smiled again, but this time, it wasn't a smile at all. It was more of a twisted and painful smirk. He gestured behind him at his men. "Tie her up. Knock her out if you have to. We don't need a scratching wildcat to haul back to the surface." "But, Boss. If you don't need the wildcat, why are you taking her back?" Artemis Senior smiled tightly. "I need a guarantee that my son won't fight when I come for him, and I have memories of these two. Rescuing me."
He knelt down to croon mockingly at Holly. "Any regrets rescuing me now, fairy?" he spat at her. She ducked and spat at him as well. It caught him in the face. He hissed in fury. Standing up, he made a small gesture with his two fingers. Immediately, Holly felt another tranquilizer bite into her neck. Her last thoughts seemed to spin through her head, which were "Why didn't I realize? Realize? Realize? . . . . ."
Operation Booth:
Foaly stared at the mini soap opera on the screens, half- unbelieving. It didn't help where the hypodermic needle got Holly. "Come on, Short!" he nearly yelled. "Can't you see it?" It became obvious that she couldn't hear him when her head twirled dazedly, and sank down.
He had to alert everyone, but how? Then it hit him, and he cursed himself for an idiot. Gnommish! Then, he remembered that the little Mud Boy, Fowl, understood Gnommish as well. Foaly sweated heavily, and began praying to the Acorn that the sayings weren't true, and that father was nothing like son.
South Field: In Training:
"Attention! Attention!" The first burst was English, then it burst into a babble of Gnommish that even Artemis found a bit hard to follow, though he could catch a hint of "Mud Man's Father. . Coming. . Destroy. . LEP. ." Apparently, though, even if Artemis couldn't understand it, the fairies could. Several pounced on him, and began beating him up, and he was actually thankful to Commander Root for making him practice his punches on walls, and, for once in his life, he fought back.
He had barely begun (and received several bruises, and two black eyes) when a strong, purpled hand hauled him up, and he was staring into the flaming pitted eyes of Commander Root. "Alright, Mud Boy. Tell me that you had nothing to do with this, and I'll punch you." One of the boys looked confused, then asked the Commander: "Wouldn't it be OR I'll punch you, with all due respect, sir?"
Commander Root rolled his eyes. "Alright." He retorted, feigning a calmness that he didn't feel. "Tell me you had nothing to do with this fiasco OR I'll punch you, Fowl." He glared at the junior officers. "Is that all right, then?" he demanded. They nodded, and skipped away. (Yes, they really skipped!) Artemis cleared his voice, and spoke. "I assure you, Commander, I had absolutely nothing to do with this."
"Is that right?" asked the commander grimly. Artemis gave a cursory but curt nod. Commander Root punched him anyway. The way things were going, he needed a little amusement to keep him busy. Surely no one could blame him for that?
Well, well, well. No action whatsoever, just a lot of talking. Next chapter will be better, I hope, but you'll have to wait a while. My alter-egos and I are going camping!