A/N: This is set about 2 years after EC
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original Artemis Fowl charactors or
settings
________________________________________________________________
Two floors up, Artemis Fowl II stared at the glowing screen in front of
him. With the lights switched off, the computer screens were the only light
in the room.
The 15 year old raked a hand through jet black hair, glaring at the laptop. So far, he'd been unsuccessful. It appeared NASA had updated their security since last time he hacked them.
Suddenly the scowl on his face lifted, and he tapped three keys. The screen blacked out for a moment, then came back to life. Artemis gave his vampire grin.
Since the return of his father it had become increasingly hard to continue his rather dubious enterprises. Plus, there was that nagging feeling, in the back of his mind, like he'd forgotten something. Not a feeling Artemis was comfortable with.
And those contacts he'd found in his eyes. They remained a mystery, and heightened his sense of unease. In the two years since those contacts had appeared, he'd actually stayed on the straight and narrow.at least while his parents were looking.
These days they seemed to be everywhere, encouraging him to socialise with other teens, telling him how proud they were that he'd decided to play 'the hero', as his father put it. Artemis would far prefer to be the villain.
Domovoi Butler sat on the spindly chair, which took his weight with an ominous crack. The huge Eurasian dwarfed the table in front of him. At over 2 metres tall, Butler dwarfed everything smaller than an elephant.
Those he just shrunk slightly.
Right now though, the bodyguard wasn't paying much attention to anything. Instead he was meditating.
His concentration was shattered as his sister Juliet walked through the door. Now 20, the pretty blonde had just returned from the Lodge ((a/n: I think that's where they live.)) bringing with her car-keys, a six pack of beer and a boyfriend in tow.
"Going out Dom, see you later!" she called, dumping the beer on the table. Glancing up, the manservant noticed the younger guy's expression. Most guys looked like that, when they realised that the gorgeous blonde had a big, BIG brother over forty, with muscles to put all their favourite wrestlers to shame.
"Nice to meet you." Said Butler, just hiding a grin. The guy nodded, glanced at Juliet and said "Let's go."
Without waiting for an answer, he walked out just slow enough not to be running. Juliet sighed. "Why do you do that? I like that guy!" Turning on her heel, she stomped off after him.
Butler chuckled. Kids. Turning his attention back to the table, he looked at the beer. Well.normally, he wouldn't consider it but.Unknown to his employer, today was his 46th birthday. Just this once, and never again.
Half an hour later, Butler discovered the alcohol in one of the cellars downstairs. And three hours later, something little short of phenomenal happened.
Domovoi Butler, bodyguard to the heir to the Fowl fortune, became well and truly drunk.
Upstairs, Artemis scrolled down on his computer monitor. Interesting. The CIA really should protect their site better.
Behind him the door creaked open. Artemis spun around in his chair, snatching up the knife from his boot. Butler still didn't know about that one. Ever since that incident with the Peo..There it was again!!
Those damn memories, the ones that didn't exist. Artemis cautiously approached the door, peering out into the corridor. Nothing.
Unconvinced, Artemis turns, heading for Butler, then hesitates. He was 15 now, after all. Was he a child, to run from shadows?
He scowls, stalking back into his room. Swinging the door shut, he freezes. The glow from the laptop monitor reflects in the eyes of the man behind the door.
"What're ya waiting for?" a gravely voice demands from behind him. Artemis spins, searching for this new threat. Something is wrenched over his head and yanked into his mouth from behind.
iIt's a sock!/i he thinks in disgust. Rough hands propel him towards the door, where another man is silhouetted against the light.
Walking past him, Artemis can see he's well over fifty, but still spry for his years. Seeing the look on his face, the man laughs.
"Think someone's goin' ta come save ya, rich boy? No' likely. Yer gorilla's downstairs, sleepin' off the effects of all tha' beer." A vicious grin splits the man's face at the expression of horror on Artemis's.
Butler? Drunk?! Normally, Artemis would never sink to using profanity, but this was a special occasion.
"Crap." he mumbled through the sock. His captors laughed. "Crap indeed, especially for your daddy. You know, the millionaire?" said the man who was holding his wrists. Artemis winced. Father was definitely not going to like this.
***************************** A bird sang sweetly from the oak tree outside Fowl Manor, filled with the joy of life as it serenaded the dawn. Needless to say, this was somewhat at odds with the swearing issuing from within.
Butler had awoken that morning with a headache to stun a bull-troll. But since Butler had defeated a troll before, that wasn't enough to stop him.
After an hour of exercising and shoving his head into a bucket of water, he felt mildly better. Mildly.
Climbing the stairs to his young employer's room, Butler wondered why Artemis hadn't already emerged. Suspicion began to cloud his mind, and he took the last flight of stairs at a run.
Flinging the door open, he glanced around the room. No Artemis. Yanking the phone out of its socket on the desk, he dialled Artemis's cell phone. On the shelf behind him, it began to ring. Butler cursed, using words that even Juliet had never heard before. Artemis never went ianywhere/i without that phone. Never.
Butler took a deep breath, and began to count to twenty. When he got there, he decided it wasn't enough, and went on to fifty.
When at last he'd calmed down, he began to systematically search the room for signs of a struggle. The laptop was still on, logged in to the CIA site. Artemis wouldn't have left it on. Apart from that, nothing was out of place, except.on the floor lay a sock. Just a single sock, without a pair. Butler frowned. Then he left without touching anything, and marched to the master bedroom.
Angeline Fowl stared uncomprehendingly at Butler. "Wh-what?" said her husband slowly. They were seated in their private sitting room, staring up at the enormous manservant.
"Artemis is gone," Butler repeated. Angeline could see how much effort it was taking for him to remain calm. "It had to have happened sometime last night. His laptop was left on, and there was a single sock on the ground."
They stared blankly at him. "A sock." Angeline repeated. "Yes. A sock." Said Butler through gritted teeth. "Socks can be used to tie hands or feet, or as gags. Since there was only one, I'd say it's been used as a gag."
"I see," said Artemis the First slowly. "My son was kidnapped, and gagged with a sock, and while this was happening, you were.?"
Butler managed to keep his face calm. Just. He did NOT want to tell the Fowls that while their son was being taken, he'd been stone drunk.
"I was downstairs sir. Where I always am at night." Thankfully Mr Fowl accepted his excuse, nodding. "Well then, lets get someone on to it." Seeing his wife shocked face, Artemis the First pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry Angeline, we'll get him back. Our little Arty will be just fine."
The 15 year old raked a hand through jet black hair, glaring at the laptop. So far, he'd been unsuccessful. It appeared NASA had updated their security since last time he hacked them.
Suddenly the scowl on his face lifted, and he tapped three keys. The screen blacked out for a moment, then came back to life. Artemis gave his vampire grin.
Since the return of his father it had become increasingly hard to continue his rather dubious enterprises. Plus, there was that nagging feeling, in the back of his mind, like he'd forgotten something. Not a feeling Artemis was comfortable with.
And those contacts he'd found in his eyes. They remained a mystery, and heightened his sense of unease. In the two years since those contacts had appeared, he'd actually stayed on the straight and narrow.at least while his parents were looking.
These days they seemed to be everywhere, encouraging him to socialise with other teens, telling him how proud they were that he'd decided to play 'the hero', as his father put it. Artemis would far prefer to be the villain.
Domovoi Butler sat on the spindly chair, which took his weight with an ominous crack. The huge Eurasian dwarfed the table in front of him. At over 2 metres tall, Butler dwarfed everything smaller than an elephant.
Those he just shrunk slightly.
Right now though, the bodyguard wasn't paying much attention to anything. Instead he was meditating.
His concentration was shattered as his sister Juliet walked through the door. Now 20, the pretty blonde had just returned from the Lodge ((a/n: I think that's where they live.)) bringing with her car-keys, a six pack of beer and a boyfriend in tow.
"Going out Dom, see you later!" she called, dumping the beer on the table. Glancing up, the manservant noticed the younger guy's expression. Most guys looked like that, when they realised that the gorgeous blonde had a big, BIG brother over forty, with muscles to put all their favourite wrestlers to shame.
"Nice to meet you." Said Butler, just hiding a grin. The guy nodded, glanced at Juliet and said "Let's go."
Without waiting for an answer, he walked out just slow enough not to be running. Juliet sighed. "Why do you do that? I like that guy!" Turning on her heel, she stomped off after him.
Butler chuckled. Kids. Turning his attention back to the table, he looked at the beer. Well.normally, he wouldn't consider it but.Unknown to his employer, today was his 46th birthday. Just this once, and never again.
Half an hour later, Butler discovered the alcohol in one of the cellars downstairs. And three hours later, something little short of phenomenal happened.
Domovoi Butler, bodyguard to the heir to the Fowl fortune, became well and truly drunk.
Upstairs, Artemis scrolled down on his computer monitor. Interesting. The CIA really should protect their site better.
Behind him the door creaked open. Artemis spun around in his chair, snatching up the knife from his boot. Butler still didn't know about that one. Ever since that incident with the Peo..There it was again!!
Those damn memories, the ones that didn't exist. Artemis cautiously approached the door, peering out into the corridor. Nothing.
Unconvinced, Artemis turns, heading for Butler, then hesitates. He was 15 now, after all. Was he a child, to run from shadows?
He scowls, stalking back into his room. Swinging the door shut, he freezes. The glow from the laptop monitor reflects in the eyes of the man behind the door.
"What're ya waiting for?" a gravely voice demands from behind him. Artemis spins, searching for this new threat. Something is wrenched over his head and yanked into his mouth from behind.
iIt's a sock!/i he thinks in disgust. Rough hands propel him towards the door, where another man is silhouetted against the light.
Walking past him, Artemis can see he's well over fifty, but still spry for his years. Seeing the look on his face, the man laughs.
"Think someone's goin' ta come save ya, rich boy? No' likely. Yer gorilla's downstairs, sleepin' off the effects of all tha' beer." A vicious grin splits the man's face at the expression of horror on Artemis's.
Butler? Drunk?! Normally, Artemis would never sink to using profanity, but this was a special occasion.
"Crap." he mumbled through the sock. His captors laughed. "Crap indeed, especially for your daddy. You know, the millionaire?" said the man who was holding his wrists. Artemis winced. Father was definitely not going to like this.
***************************** A bird sang sweetly from the oak tree outside Fowl Manor, filled with the joy of life as it serenaded the dawn. Needless to say, this was somewhat at odds with the swearing issuing from within.
Butler had awoken that morning with a headache to stun a bull-troll. But since Butler had defeated a troll before, that wasn't enough to stop him.
After an hour of exercising and shoving his head into a bucket of water, he felt mildly better. Mildly.
Climbing the stairs to his young employer's room, Butler wondered why Artemis hadn't already emerged. Suspicion began to cloud his mind, and he took the last flight of stairs at a run.
Flinging the door open, he glanced around the room. No Artemis. Yanking the phone out of its socket on the desk, he dialled Artemis's cell phone. On the shelf behind him, it began to ring. Butler cursed, using words that even Juliet had never heard before. Artemis never went ianywhere/i without that phone. Never.
Butler took a deep breath, and began to count to twenty. When he got there, he decided it wasn't enough, and went on to fifty.
When at last he'd calmed down, he began to systematically search the room for signs of a struggle. The laptop was still on, logged in to the CIA site. Artemis wouldn't have left it on. Apart from that, nothing was out of place, except.on the floor lay a sock. Just a single sock, without a pair. Butler frowned. Then he left without touching anything, and marched to the master bedroom.
Angeline Fowl stared uncomprehendingly at Butler. "Wh-what?" said her husband slowly. They were seated in their private sitting room, staring up at the enormous manservant.
"Artemis is gone," Butler repeated. Angeline could see how much effort it was taking for him to remain calm. "It had to have happened sometime last night. His laptop was left on, and there was a single sock on the ground."
They stared blankly at him. "A sock." Angeline repeated. "Yes. A sock." Said Butler through gritted teeth. "Socks can be used to tie hands or feet, or as gags. Since there was only one, I'd say it's been used as a gag."
"I see," said Artemis the First slowly. "My son was kidnapped, and gagged with a sock, and while this was happening, you were.?"
Butler managed to keep his face calm. Just. He did NOT want to tell the Fowls that while their son was being taken, he'd been stone drunk.
"I was downstairs sir. Where I always am at night." Thankfully Mr Fowl accepted his excuse, nodding. "Well then, lets get someone on to it." Seeing his wife shocked face, Artemis the First pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry Angeline, we'll get him back. Our little Arty will be just fine."