To Jennie: Shouting tomatoes! *says it the Pippin way: toe-mah-toes*
To PsychoDude: My cuz is a little outspoken, so. yeah. Don't take offense if she chews you out for like, whatever that was anyway. (but Magic Tree House? LMAO!) Your sister doesn't like Gameboy? Lol! I can still remember the days when Jen and I fought over the Gameboy. Now we fight over her portable CD player. Hey, the LotR soundtrack RULZ! So yeah!
To Eialyne: If you want to know where I got the idea for this, see my lookup. It's sort of insane really.
To Deena: O.o! Thanx!
To bride-of-lister: Yeah, Legolas is SOOO hot, especially in the second movie! I swear I melt every time he smiles!
To everyone else: yeah, I'm sort of running out of time, so. Let the story begin!
*
Chapter Thirteen: A Plan At Last
Crestfallen, Holly stared at the phone in her hand. Foaly watched her sympathetically, but she turned away from his gaze.
"I don't believe it," she muttered. "He's so, so, different." Shivers ran up her spine as she recalled that icy voice. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he understand? Anger grew in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it away, feeling lost.
Root took his eyes off the tangle of wire to look at her. This terrified elf hardly reminded him of the brave captain he'd known minutes before. Doubt ate at the corners of his mind, and he put a hand on her shoulder, looking at the centaur. "There's still a way, right?"
"I don't know," Foaly answered glumly. "If Artemis smashed the cell, we have no trace. I managed to hack halfway into the physical structure, so we have his cell blueprint, but." Suddenly his eyes lit up.
Holly noticed and sat forward. "What is it?"
"Physical. fingers. fingerprints. oh please, oh,. oh.. YES!!!" Foaly was hardly aware of how immature he sounded. Root almost laughed but checked himself. Save it for a donkey-boy-comment later.
"Well, donkey-boy?"
Maybe not THAT much later.
"We can trace his fingerprints, Julius! I have a replica of the graphical structure and that includes certain markings on the numbers, sides, and screen."
"How does that help us trace the cousins, or that girl?"
"One thing at a time, Root." Holly was obviously satisfied with Foaly's work.
Root wasn't. "Foaly, we have about six hours left before your time-stop's up, their families wake to the world and those four are stuck in this Middle-Earth forever! Meanwhile, we have no intact plan, and both of you are acting as though we just took over the world. We HAVEN'T. I want a plan NOW." His face was pastel purple, a color that left his captain and scientist without a choice.
Foaly drummed his fingers on the table, thinking hard. Nodding half to himself, he trotted over to the intercom wires and flicked the microphone on.
"I WANT A RETRIEVAL ONE TOPS TO THE OPS BOOTH IMMEDIATELY."
Speechless at the Julius-like bellow, Holly tried to shut the centaur up by pulling his tail. Kicking her in the kneecap, he continued: "RETRIEVAL ONE NOW!!"
He blinked at Holly, who was already gaping at the huge bruise surfacing on her leg. "Remember this Holly, never pull my tail."
As the microphone was still on, the captain flushed. Her reprimand boomed over the Underground.
Root laughed so hard he spat out his cigar. "D'Arvit. Right then, down to business. What was this inspired plan of yours, Foaly?"
Nursing his abused tail, the centaur explained excitedly, "Fingerprints! The DNA is exactly what we need, because the unique design can trace to no other. Artemis Fowl was easy enough. Now all we need are the prints of those girls, if the Retrieval One team can handle everything correctly."
"I bet we can," a voice said from the doorway. "What exactly do you want us to do?"
Holly turned to see Trouble standing in the doorway, his men crowded behind him. They all looked surprised to see that she hadn't changed out of her Mud Man clothes yet, and one or two snickered. Well, it's not like I had time to, she thought angrily. "Captain Kelp."
"Captain Short. Commander." His greetings were brief, only just passable as civil.
Foaly coughed. Trouble ignored him.
"So what is this mission you've decided is so urgent? We don't exactly like being summoned two hours after a different retrieval." Rebellion flickered in his eyes.
Root noticed and seethed. With all eyes on him, he flicked the intercom on again and spoke into it. "Attention all citizens," he growled. "There is currently an international crisis going on." He met Captain Kelp's gaze fiercely. "An ally of the people and three American girls responsible for his disappearance are in a different world. An elf is partially answerable to their plight. I want all chutes emptied immediately for a rescue mission." Flicking off the power switch, the commander growled, "And you'd better get into those empty chutes fast, Trouble, before I send you and your troupe into the Arctic Circle to do some serious donkey work. SERIOUS donkey work, not just some light lala stuff."
Holly flinched. She'd heard that threat herself. Donkey work was composed of cleaning chute send-offs, a risky business in itself; but if the commander was REALLY cheesed at you, you got the job no fairy wants; decomposing waste by hand, an unnecessary job but good punishment nonetheless.
Knowing this, Trouble blanched. "Come on, boys," he coughed, backing out of the doorway, "we got some work to do."
Foaly smirked. Watching somebody else get blasted by the commander's wrath was his favorite entertainment. Nevertheless, he ended the fun and, pushing past Julius, he selected some Hummingbirds from the racks and fitted them all with helmets. All already carried weapons.
Trouble hesitated slightly. "What if they're awake? The Mud Men?"
"What are the chances of that?" Foaly snickered.
"If you say so, Donkey Boy," Captain Kelp retorted, using Root's favorite insult before quickly ducking out the door.
After all, Foaly still had those plasma tiles.
*
"A plan at last." Kuro shook his head. "Some plan, huh, Trubs?"
Trouble gritted his teeth as the shielded fairies flew across to the time- shielded house. "Don't call me Trubs, Kuro. You sound like Grub."
"You mean Corporal Kelp, Trubs."
Kuro loved agitating the captain. It was a lot more fun than it seemed, especially as Kuro was a recent addition to the Retrieval One team. He was the best, even Root knew it. And Trouble lived in constant fear that this "green" elf would take the floor - and the rank of Captain - out from under him.
Captain Kuro - oh, the elf liked the sound! One day Captain Kuro would be written in gold on every doorstep, or whatever they did to celebrities. Despite his ignorance of fame, Kuro could see himself striding down the Haven roads with a Commander's Acorns glinting on his chest. Kuro Trucehart. Oh, that would be the day.
Trouble could see the other's eyes mist over as they landed. "Focus, Junior. We have work to do."
"Right," Kuro nodded. Snapping out of it, he looked at the time-shield and passed through the gateway apprehensively. "All for one, eh, Trubs?"
"I swear, if you call me Trubs one more time."
".he'll tell Mommy," a new voice interjected.
Captain Kelp rolled his eyes up to the frozen heavens and asked Frond why he was cursed to be on this team, of all Retrievals under the world.
They crept across the lawn silently, frost crackling under their feet. The time-stop was completely silent, and underneath the magic arc not a soul moved besides the Retrieval team. And one other.
Leah stood with a hand on the back of the chair, gripping it nervously. She simply could not fall asleep, which was odd. and she wondered why Jennie, Tessa, and Alison seemed to have disappeared. They were probably outside in the hammock, she reflected. Crossing over to the window, she peeped into the night.
"Omigod," she breathed.
Their yard and house were both encased in a blue-marble shield. It positively glowed through the black night, and she could also see twelve miniature men sneaking toward the back door. She freaked out and started screaming, running away from the window in stark blind fear. Leah, having few resources, was tempted to play dead for a moment, but instead charged through the house, opening the bedroom doors and shaking Larry in the hopes he would wake.
His head lolled back on the pillow.
The woman knew nothing of time-stop rules. Her panicked mind jumped to a lone conclusion- drugged! Kristin and Fran proved as helpless.
How did they do it? Leah asked herself. How did these people manage to sneak poisons under our very noses?
Her mouth set in a grim line, much like the sort she used on Jennie when her daughter was disruptive. It was up to her to save the day.
The next thing she tried was the phone. The connection died even as she picked it up. Probably something to do with the electrical charge outside, she reflected. Bleakly, she picked up a lamp and advanced slowly to the back door, where she could already hear scuffles outside.
"OUCH! Trouble, you racist Mud Man, I'll feed you your d'Arvit badge."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stuff it in the toilet, you moron."
"Oooh, Trubs, you're fighting. I'll tell Mommy!"
Things happened quickly after that. Leah, automatically assuming that the short intruders were only children, stalked forward with her you-have-been- very-bad-and-I'm-going-to-get-you-now face set. The door swung open and the Retrieval members tumbled in together, buzz batons ready. And, wouldn't you know it, the resulting tussle ended with one of the electrically charged weapons making contact with a kitchen towel.
There was a very brief explosion.
Leah, now totally cheesed, grabbed the nearest short trespasser and shook him violently.
"Grub!" one of the others hissed worriedly, and started forward.
The woman was intent on her prey. "Didn't your mommy tell you not to play with fire?"
He started to cry.
"Ohhh, now you've done it," the leading one said, obviously the bawler's older brother. He strutted forward, buzz baton at the ready.
Leah was contemptuous. "If I was your mom, I'd be ashamed of the way you acted. And how do you plan on hurting me?"
"If you were my mom, you would know," Trouble drawled, and clipped her on the chest.
For the human, things went black rather abruptly.
*
To all who still live with your parents; NEVER LET YOUR FATHER WALK BEHIND YOU WHEN YOU'RE ATTEMPTING HUMOR! You'll end up trying to explain more than you want to! Review!
To PsychoDude: My cuz is a little outspoken, so. yeah. Don't take offense if she chews you out for like, whatever that was anyway. (but Magic Tree House? LMAO!) Your sister doesn't like Gameboy? Lol! I can still remember the days when Jen and I fought over the Gameboy. Now we fight over her portable CD player. Hey, the LotR soundtrack RULZ! So yeah!
To Eialyne: If you want to know where I got the idea for this, see my lookup. It's sort of insane really.
To Deena: O.o! Thanx!
To bride-of-lister: Yeah, Legolas is SOOO hot, especially in the second movie! I swear I melt every time he smiles!
To everyone else: yeah, I'm sort of running out of time, so. Let the story begin!
*
Chapter Thirteen: A Plan At Last
Crestfallen, Holly stared at the phone in her hand. Foaly watched her sympathetically, but she turned away from his gaze.
"I don't believe it," she muttered. "He's so, so, different." Shivers ran up her spine as she recalled that icy voice. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he understand? Anger grew in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it away, feeling lost.
Root took his eyes off the tangle of wire to look at her. This terrified elf hardly reminded him of the brave captain he'd known minutes before. Doubt ate at the corners of his mind, and he put a hand on her shoulder, looking at the centaur. "There's still a way, right?"
"I don't know," Foaly answered glumly. "If Artemis smashed the cell, we have no trace. I managed to hack halfway into the physical structure, so we have his cell blueprint, but." Suddenly his eyes lit up.
Holly noticed and sat forward. "What is it?"
"Physical. fingers. fingerprints. oh please, oh,. oh.. YES!!!" Foaly was hardly aware of how immature he sounded. Root almost laughed but checked himself. Save it for a donkey-boy-comment later.
"Well, donkey-boy?"
Maybe not THAT much later.
"We can trace his fingerprints, Julius! I have a replica of the graphical structure and that includes certain markings on the numbers, sides, and screen."
"How does that help us trace the cousins, or that girl?"
"One thing at a time, Root." Holly was obviously satisfied with Foaly's work.
Root wasn't. "Foaly, we have about six hours left before your time-stop's up, their families wake to the world and those four are stuck in this Middle-Earth forever! Meanwhile, we have no intact plan, and both of you are acting as though we just took over the world. We HAVEN'T. I want a plan NOW." His face was pastel purple, a color that left his captain and scientist without a choice.
Foaly drummed his fingers on the table, thinking hard. Nodding half to himself, he trotted over to the intercom wires and flicked the microphone on.
"I WANT A RETRIEVAL ONE TOPS TO THE OPS BOOTH IMMEDIATELY."
Speechless at the Julius-like bellow, Holly tried to shut the centaur up by pulling his tail. Kicking her in the kneecap, he continued: "RETRIEVAL ONE NOW!!"
He blinked at Holly, who was already gaping at the huge bruise surfacing on her leg. "Remember this Holly, never pull my tail."
As the microphone was still on, the captain flushed. Her reprimand boomed over the Underground.
Root laughed so hard he spat out his cigar. "D'Arvit. Right then, down to business. What was this inspired plan of yours, Foaly?"
Nursing his abused tail, the centaur explained excitedly, "Fingerprints! The DNA is exactly what we need, because the unique design can trace to no other. Artemis Fowl was easy enough. Now all we need are the prints of those girls, if the Retrieval One team can handle everything correctly."
"I bet we can," a voice said from the doorway. "What exactly do you want us to do?"
Holly turned to see Trouble standing in the doorway, his men crowded behind him. They all looked surprised to see that she hadn't changed out of her Mud Man clothes yet, and one or two snickered. Well, it's not like I had time to, she thought angrily. "Captain Kelp."
"Captain Short. Commander." His greetings were brief, only just passable as civil.
Foaly coughed. Trouble ignored him.
"So what is this mission you've decided is so urgent? We don't exactly like being summoned two hours after a different retrieval." Rebellion flickered in his eyes.
Root noticed and seethed. With all eyes on him, he flicked the intercom on again and spoke into it. "Attention all citizens," he growled. "There is currently an international crisis going on." He met Captain Kelp's gaze fiercely. "An ally of the people and three American girls responsible for his disappearance are in a different world. An elf is partially answerable to their plight. I want all chutes emptied immediately for a rescue mission." Flicking off the power switch, the commander growled, "And you'd better get into those empty chutes fast, Trouble, before I send you and your troupe into the Arctic Circle to do some serious donkey work. SERIOUS donkey work, not just some light lala stuff."
Holly flinched. She'd heard that threat herself. Donkey work was composed of cleaning chute send-offs, a risky business in itself; but if the commander was REALLY cheesed at you, you got the job no fairy wants; decomposing waste by hand, an unnecessary job but good punishment nonetheless.
Knowing this, Trouble blanched. "Come on, boys," he coughed, backing out of the doorway, "we got some work to do."
Foaly smirked. Watching somebody else get blasted by the commander's wrath was his favorite entertainment. Nevertheless, he ended the fun and, pushing past Julius, he selected some Hummingbirds from the racks and fitted them all with helmets. All already carried weapons.
Trouble hesitated slightly. "What if they're awake? The Mud Men?"
"What are the chances of that?" Foaly snickered.
"If you say so, Donkey Boy," Captain Kelp retorted, using Root's favorite insult before quickly ducking out the door.
After all, Foaly still had those plasma tiles.
*
"A plan at last." Kuro shook his head. "Some plan, huh, Trubs?"
Trouble gritted his teeth as the shielded fairies flew across to the time- shielded house. "Don't call me Trubs, Kuro. You sound like Grub."
"You mean Corporal Kelp, Trubs."
Kuro loved agitating the captain. It was a lot more fun than it seemed, especially as Kuro was a recent addition to the Retrieval One team. He was the best, even Root knew it. And Trouble lived in constant fear that this "green" elf would take the floor - and the rank of Captain - out from under him.
Captain Kuro - oh, the elf liked the sound! One day Captain Kuro would be written in gold on every doorstep, or whatever they did to celebrities. Despite his ignorance of fame, Kuro could see himself striding down the Haven roads with a Commander's Acorns glinting on his chest. Kuro Trucehart. Oh, that would be the day.
Trouble could see the other's eyes mist over as they landed. "Focus, Junior. We have work to do."
"Right," Kuro nodded. Snapping out of it, he looked at the time-shield and passed through the gateway apprehensively. "All for one, eh, Trubs?"
"I swear, if you call me Trubs one more time."
".he'll tell Mommy," a new voice interjected.
Captain Kelp rolled his eyes up to the frozen heavens and asked Frond why he was cursed to be on this team, of all Retrievals under the world.
They crept across the lawn silently, frost crackling under their feet. The time-stop was completely silent, and underneath the magic arc not a soul moved besides the Retrieval team. And one other.
Leah stood with a hand on the back of the chair, gripping it nervously. She simply could not fall asleep, which was odd. and she wondered why Jennie, Tessa, and Alison seemed to have disappeared. They were probably outside in the hammock, she reflected. Crossing over to the window, she peeped into the night.
"Omigod," she breathed.
Their yard and house were both encased in a blue-marble shield. It positively glowed through the black night, and she could also see twelve miniature men sneaking toward the back door. She freaked out and started screaming, running away from the window in stark blind fear. Leah, having few resources, was tempted to play dead for a moment, but instead charged through the house, opening the bedroom doors and shaking Larry in the hopes he would wake.
His head lolled back on the pillow.
The woman knew nothing of time-stop rules. Her panicked mind jumped to a lone conclusion- drugged! Kristin and Fran proved as helpless.
How did they do it? Leah asked herself. How did these people manage to sneak poisons under our very noses?
Her mouth set in a grim line, much like the sort she used on Jennie when her daughter was disruptive. It was up to her to save the day.
The next thing she tried was the phone. The connection died even as she picked it up. Probably something to do with the electrical charge outside, she reflected. Bleakly, she picked up a lamp and advanced slowly to the back door, where she could already hear scuffles outside.
"OUCH! Trouble, you racist Mud Man, I'll feed you your d'Arvit badge."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stuff it in the toilet, you moron."
"Oooh, Trubs, you're fighting. I'll tell Mommy!"
Things happened quickly after that. Leah, automatically assuming that the short intruders were only children, stalked forward with her you-have-been- very-bad-and-I'm-going-to-get-you-now face set. The door swung open and the Retrieval members tumbled in together, buzz batons ready. And, wouldn't you know it, the resulting tussle ended with one of the electrically charged weapons making contact with a kitchen towel.
There was a very brief explosion.
Leah, now totally cheesed, grabbed the nearest short trespasser and shook him violently.
"Grub!" one of the others hissed worriedly, and started forward.
The woman was intent on her prey. "Didn't your mommy tell you not to play with fire?"
He started to cry.
"Ohhh, now you've done it," the leading one said, obviously the bawler's older brother. He strutted forward, buzz baton at the ready.
Leah was contemptuous. "If I was your mom, I'd be ashamed of the way you acted. And how do you plan on hurting me?"
"If you were my mom, you would know," Trouble drawled, and clipped her on the chest.
For the human, things went black rather abruptly.
*
To all who still live with your parents; NEVER LET YOUR FATHER WALK BEHIND YOU WHEN YOU'RE ATTEMPTING HUMOR! You'll end up trying to explain more than you want to! Review!