DISCLAIMER:
** Butler is my friend,
He's big and really tough.
But he's not mine you see,
So don't make my life rough!!**
Chapter 3: Here We Go Again
Holly landed at the peaceful site with a quiet thump. She should grab her acorn and get out of there immediately, but she didn't. Instead, she stared at the magical full moon. She was in no hurry. After all, no one else knew of this site except the infamous Artemis Fowl. And he would never remember it.
She blinked her eyes furiously, trying to wipe away the memories and the tears. Holly had never cried over Artemis, and she was not going to start now. He wasn't worth it. Like Foaly had said, how can you be friends with a viper?
Holly straightened her shoulders. No more. She had mourned-Mourn? Who would mourn over him? -for long enough. It was time to get back on track. No more wishing they could have continued knowing of one another. It was over. She would go back to how she had been before meeting Artemis Fowl Junior. Perfectly normal. She nodded once decisively. She would forget ever meeting the Mud Boy.
A dart hit her firmly between her shoulders.
Holly jerked. The pain was slight, and this tranquilizer was taking effect fast. She turned in time to see a tall, bulky Mud Man and a small, skinny, pale boy step out of their hiding place. Two very, very familiar Mud Men.
"D'Arvit. Not again." Her voice was slurred, and she shook her head, trying to clear it. The boy smiled a very memorable smile.
"Don't bother, fairy. You are ours."
His voice was too recognizable. The same snobbish might and power resonated in the tones. As Holly lost consciousness and sank to the ground, she mumbled out one word.
"Artemis…"
***********
Artemis blinked in shock as the fairy muttered his name. He stared down at the helmeted figure. How could it have known…? He shook away that thought and picked up the fairy. Instead of handing the unconscious fairy to Butler, as he should have, he cradled it in his arms. "I'll carry." he said. "You have all the other gear to transport."
Butler frowned. "Artemis, I can carry such a small figure easily."
"It will only get in your way. No matter how much you protest, I know you are glad of the respite. I will be perfectly fine."
Butler nodded. It had been very hard to haul all the equipment across to the site. He didn't need the extra weight. "If you are sure, sir." He picked up the tent and began packing it.
Artemis studied the fairy in his arms and reached down to the fairy's helmeted head. He disconnected a little wire in front. A voice inside his head told him it was connected to a camera, and he frowned. It could be a camera, but he was so sure. Like he knew this from experience.
And in his unconscious brain, memories fought wildly to be freed from their imprisonment. He was so close to total recall. He just needed to see something to shock him, to jerk those memories free. Just one thing…
Artemis shrugged and followed Butler to the car.
***********
Foaly sat at his computer, feeling very bored. Holly had headed up to perform the Ritual, and wouldn't be back for a long while. While she was gone, he had no one to talk to. Well, there was Root, but he was still stewing over the discussion the two had shared earlier.
Now that he thought about it, Holly may not be too happy to talk to Foaly either. She tended to hold grudges, and Foaly knew he had made her mad as well. Both of his friends angry within the space of five minutes. Such talent.
Foaly sighed and logged onto his computer. From there, he connected to Holly's personal frequency. He wanted to talk so badly. Maybe if he apologized while she couldn't see him, she'd take him seriously for once.
No one answered the hail. He called again, and was rewarded with the sound of the mike being disconnected. The centaur frowned. How dare she! What if that had been something important? What an airhead.
Foaly sat back in his chair and resorted to his last, desperate attempt to stay busy. He pulled up a game of FreeCell. One of the few things humans ever got right. Well, that and carrot cake.
***********
Artemis looked down at the body when the helmet started to beep. After a moment, he realized it was a hailing device. Annoyed, he reached to the back of the helmet and pulled the battery from its niche. While gazing at the nuclear power source in great interest, he paused. He had known exactly where the battery was. This was starting to get very strange.
Still, Artemis shrugged it off to his great genius and the fact that any half cooked idiot would store the battery in that place, near the back of the neck. It was harder for enemies to remove that way.
He continued to study the fairy's possessions, including its belt and watch. The watch caught his interest, and as he examined it closer, he noticed something.
"A miniature tracking device." he murmured. "How intriguing." After a few seconds of pondering, he decided to leave it on until they reached Fowl Manor. If the fairies decided to track him, that was fine. It would let the opposition do all the work, after all. And if they had to track the captive, they would be confident that Artemis had no idea about the extent of their technology. And in Artemis's case, that would be a blessing. The teenager enjoyed being underestimated. It made for a much more rewarding victory.
AN: Not as long a chapter as usual, I know. Sorry, but it was a good stopping point, and the chapters will be getting longer. Most likely. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews so far; I really appreciate the feed back. Expect the new chapter in a few days. And sorry about the lame disclaimer. I'm having problems thinking up rhymes. It's not in my blood.