4
Past Tense
Present
Brandon sat in his cell. He was bright, above average IQ, but he was certainly not his father. Where he was and why he was there were unanswered questions.
Was he part of a ransom attempt? His family was rich, yes, but how did creatures like those that had kidnapped him know him? Or more specifically, know his father? He was sure he had heard his father's name in their conversations.
The door creaked opened. This was odd. Usually when he was fed, the captors sled in some horrid drink through a slot.
One of the creatures came over and grabbed Brandon by the neck of his shirt and grabbed him, pulling him along.
"What's going on?" Brandon asked.
"Shuddup." The creature responded. "Ms. Kaboi wants to see you."
Back at Fowl Manor, Holly got up from her chair as if to leave.
Artemis looked at her. "Do you know anything at all about the captors? The Division of Darkness, as Root would say?"
"We're not sure if they're the people responsible for trying to sabotage the Project. The Division of Darkness is more similar to the mob than the people we saw before. And even if they were, which is a decent chance, it's a bit hard to assume that they would get mixed up with you and your son."
"It could be Kaboi." Butler said.
"Butler, if no one informed you on this, let me tell you now." Holly said. "Opal is insane."
"Well, of course." Artemis said.
"Forgive me, I meant even more insane."
"How so?"
"Straight-jacket material." Holly said. "Several goblins brutally attacked her, leaving her traumatized. She jammed a hypodermic syringe into an orderly's neck and escaped."
Artemis looked at her. "Any chance at all that she could be responsible?"
Butler nodded. "It seems possible, considering the situation we're dealing with."
Artemis looked at Holly. "This is largely based on hunches here, but if we are dealing with the same people as before, is Opal completely out of the picture?"
Holly caught herself staring at Artemis's left leg uncomfortably, reminded of what happened before. Artemis shifted his leg aside. "No, she's not. I could see her doing...what happened before."
Juliet came in. She had planned on pretending on just stopping by, but couldn't.
"Is it true, Artemis? Is our son kidnapped?" She began sobbing, and Holly looked at her with a matter of distaste.
"We're going to get this all worked out, Juliet. Don't worry." He said, reassuring his frantic wife. "Right, Holly?"
"Exactly." Said Holly with a somewhat forced smile that Artemis didn't catch.
Before
Artemis sat hunched away at his computer. The teenager had just hacked into an elderly gentleman's bank account. Grinning, he eagerly moved his victim's assets into his account. Then he set it up to look like one of his classmates' IP address.
Butler caught Artemis' expression. "A little masterminding, eh? What's today's fiendish plan?" He said with a grin.
"Oh, nothing of the sort." Artemis said. "Just helping father with the bills."
"That's nice of you." Said Butler, one of his eyebrows arched up. "Did you get a job?"
"Where's the fun in--" Artemis began to say when he stopped.
"What's the matter, sir?" Asked Butler.
Artemis looked outside the window. It appeared that no one was there.
He walked down the stairs and opened the door.
"You can come in, now Captain Short."
"How'd you know I was there?" Holly reappeared.
"I've seen enough shields to last a lifetime." Artemis said. "So, what's the deal? Or did you just come for caviar?"
Holly made an expression of disgust. "No, thanks. I came here to ask you for a favor."
"What favor?"
"The LEP is planning on creating a machine. It's top-secret, and we're trying to avoid breaking any laws. Some of the materials are of the human variety, and we're not planning on doing mesmers in case something goes awry."
"So, you just came here for some gadgets? Or is there more?" Artemis said.
"We would like to ask your help, but Root thought you were too humble for the job."
Artemis grinned; imagining what Holly had to do get to the Manor.
"Is that a yes?" Holly said.
Present
The dwarf dragged Brandon across the ground. He passed two goblin guards and into a corridor. At the foot of it was a door.
"Ms. Kaboi?" He called.
"Yes?" Said a voice behind the door.
"Uh, you wanted to see...Artemis?"
"Of course, you fool." Said the voice. "Bring him in."
The door opened and Brandon was thrown in complete darkness. He could barely see. He felt across the wall for some sort of light switch.
"Don't bother." The voice said. It was a calm voice, a mask hiding true lunacy. "I prefer the dark.
In Fowl Manor, Holly turned to leave. She stared at Artemis and Juliet. She had deep feelings for him once, but she had pushed them away. Such relationships would put her jeopardy. Yet, she couldn't deny feelings of affection for him and a feeling of jealousy towards Juliet.
"Thanks for your help." She said. "We'll try our best to help, and promise you Brandon's return."
She put her shield on and Artemis saw the door open.
"Wait!" He said.
"Yes?" Said Holly, putting her shield off.
"I'm coming with you." Said Artemis.
"But, sir..." Said Butler. "After what happened last time..."
"I'm going, Butler. My son is in danger. If you want to stay here with Juliet, I'm not stopping you." He put on a coat.
Butler followed Artemis and the fairy, and shut the door, leaving Juliet alone.
Past Tense
Present
Brandon sat in his cell. He was bright, above average IQ, but he was certainly not his father. Where he was and why he was there were unanswered questions.
Was he part of a ransom attempt? His family was rich, yes, but how did creatures like those that had kidnapped him know him? Or more specifically, know his father? He was sure he had heard his father's name in their conversations.
The door creaked opened. This was odd. Usually when he was fed, the captors sled in some horrid drink through a slot.
One of the creatures came over and grabbed Brandon by the neck of his shirt and grabbed him, pulling him along.
"What's going on?" Brandon asked.
"Shuddup." The creature responded. "Ms. Kaboi wants to see you."
Back at Fowl Manor, Holly got up from her chair as if to leave.
Artemis looked at her. "Do you know anything at all about the captors? The Division of Darkness, as Root would say?"
"We're not sure if they're the people responsible for trying to sabotage the Project. The Division of Darkness is more similar to the mob than the people we saw before. And even if they were, which is a decent chance, it's a bit hard to assume that they would get mixed up with you and your son."
"It could be Kaboi." Butler said.
"Butler, if no one informed you on this, let me tell you now." Holly said. "Opal is insane."
"Well, of course." Artemis said.
"Forgive me, I meant even more insane."
"How so?"
"Straight-jacket material." Holly said. "Several goblins brutally attacked her, leaving her traumatized. She jammed a hypodermic syringe into an orderly's neck and escaped."
Artemis looked at her. "Any chance at all that she could be responsible?"
Butler nodded. "It seems possible, considering the situation we're dealing with."
Artemis looked at Holly. "This is largely based on hunches here, but if we are dealing with the same people as before, is Opal completely out of the picture?"
Holly caught herself staring at Artemis's left leg uncomfortably, reminded of what happened before. Artemis shifted his leg aside. "No, she's not. I could see her doing...what happened before."
Juliet came in. She had planned on pretending on just stopping by, but couldn't.
"Is it true, Artemis? Is our son kidnapped?" She began sobbing, and Holly looked at her with a matter of distaste.
"We're going to get this all worked out, Juliet. Don't worry." He said, reassuring his frantic wife. "Right, Holly?"
"Exactly." Said Holly with a somewhat forced smile that Artemis didn't catch.
Before
Artemis sat hunched away at his computer. The teenager had just hacked into an elderly gentleman's bank account. Grinning, he eagerly moved his victim's assets into his account. Then he set it up to look like one of his classmates' IP address.
Butler caught Artemis' expression. "A little masterminding, eh? What's today's fiendish plan?" He said with a grin.
"Oh, nothing of the sort." Artemis said. "Just helping father with the bills."
"That's nice of you." Said Butler, one of his eyebrows arched up. "Did you get a job?"
"Where's the fun in--" Artemis began to say when he stopped.
"What's the matter, sir?" Asked Butler.
Artemis looked outside the window. It appeared that no one was there.
He walked down the stairs and opened the door.
"You can come in, now Captain Short."
"How'd you know I was there?" Holly reappeared.
"I've seen enough shields to last a lifetime." Artemis said. "So, what's the deal? Or did you just come for caviar?"
Holly made an expression of disgust. "No, thanks. I came here to ask you for a favor."
"What favor?"
"The LEP is planning on creating a machine. It's top-secret, and we're trying to avoid breaking any laws. Some of the materials are of the human variety, and we're not planning on doing mesmers in case something goes awry."
"So, you just came here for some gadgets? Or is there more?" Artemis said.
"We would like to ask your help, but Root thought you were too humble for the job."
Artemis grinned; imagining what Holly had to do get to the Manor.
"Is that a yes?" Holly said.
Present
The dwarf dragged Brandon across the ground. He passed two goblin guards and into a corridor. At the foot of it was a door.
"Ms. Kaboi?" He called.
"Yes?" Said a voice behind the door.
"Uh, you wanted to see...Artemis?"
"Of course, you fool." Said the voice. "Bring him in."
The door opened and Brandon was thrown in complete darkness. He could barely see. He felt across the wall for some sort of light switch.
"Don't bother." The voice said. It was a calm voice, a mask hiding true lunacy. "I prefer the dark.
In Fowl Manor, Holly turned to leave. She stared at Artemis and Juliet. She had deep feelings for him once, but she had pushed them away. Such relationships would put her jeopardy. Yet, she couldn't deny feelings of affection for him and a feeling of jealousy towards Juliet.
"Thanks for your help." She said. "We'll try our best to help, and promise you Brandon's return."
She put her shield on and Artemis saw the door open.
"Wait!" He said.
"Yes?" Said Holly, putting her shield off.
"I'm coming with you." Said Artemis.
"But, sir..." Said Butler. "After what happened last time..."
"I'm going, Butler. My son is in danger. If you want to stay here with Juliet, I'm not stopping you." He put on a coat.
Butler followed Artemis and the fairy, and shut the door, leaving Juliet alone.