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A/N~ Please review and tell me what you think about the newest installment
of my story.
Koboi Labs, Haven, Underground
Everything appeared to be moving in slow motion. The pistol fired and the bullet flew into Artemis' chest. When it hit him he shook and rocked on his feet and then fell slowly to the ground. His eyes were shut tightly and his teeth gritted together as they all waited for what was to come next.
Ashamed was Butler. It was his duty to protect Artemis until the day he, not Artemis, died. What would Madame Ko think? He had failed to protect the principal. That would be awful enough. But this was one of his closest friends. Butler had known him since the day Mrs. Fowl had given birth to him. They had had a lot of good times and memorable adventures that will put a smile on his face whenever he thought of them. But Artemis would never get to think of them again.
There was nothing any of the fairies with magic could do. Without Foaly they didn't have a clue as to magical surgery. Sure, Holly had done it before but she had instruction and a guide to aid her. Things really could fall apart when Foaly wasn't there.
Holly really didn't care whether or not she knew how to heal him, but she sure as hell would try to. She hopped up from her position on the floor and ran over as fast as her short legs could carry her to where Artemis was lying on the floor. She paused a moment trying to conjure up her memories of the healing she did, successfully might we add, on Butler. Holly was about to take his shirt off to get to the wound when something truly miraculous happened.
Artemis sat up.
Gasps were heard all around. Holly jumped back in shock and her mouth was hanging open so wide that a swear toad could have jumped in and jumped out without her even noticing. She, nor could anyone else, couldn't believe it. But I, I-, Holly thought. I just- he was just- shot for Fronds sake! There was no possible way. A shot like that would have killed him. He wasn't even wearing a bulletproof vest!
Artemis' POV
Finally, he thought. Koboi may think she is the most intelligent creature in the world but there is no beating Artemis Fowl the Second. And Hol- Captain Short thought it would take days. I can't believe they are all sitting down looking exhausted. I'm the one who did all the work. But, then again, that flight could really take a lot of energy out of a person. I hope she doesn't drive when we get out of here. That is one flight I never want to have to experience again. Ever.
"Got it!" he said joyfully. Spiro's locks on the door protecting my C Cube was tough, but this, this was quite a challenge. Then again, it was nothing I couldn't handle.
Artemis stood up and fiddled with the knob until it opened. He swung the door wide open, ready for anything. All, of course, except what actually was there.
He looked down at a rusty, old twenty-two mounted in a chunk of wood, made specifically to hold the gun. The gun was aimed directly at the center point of his chest. Then Artemis had a sudden sense of seeing that before. That gun looks awfully familiar.
That's when he realized it. When they were in the warehouse rescuing Holly, Koboi was on the plasma screen. She had been fiddling with something. Twirling it in her hand like it was a baton. It was the gun. And when they had confronted Koboi after their little venture in the Artic. It had been strapped to her belt loop.
She didn't fire it though. She didn't try to go out with a bang. Literally. That probably meant that she was saving it for a purpose. Opal knew that with Foaly in her clutches Artemis would be the one to undo all of her security devices. She had made it easy. So that he would get a sense of false security. So that he would throw precautions to the wind when he opened that door. And he had fell for it.
Normal POV
Artemis just blinked. Even though he was glad to not be dead it still seemed as though he should be. That bullet should have been coming out his back it hit so hard and fast. But by some miracle, it didn't.
He looked up at Holly, who still had her mouth hanging wide open, then at Butler. Butler had an expression similar to Holly's on his face. Everyone's shock was evident. There was no getting around it. But the mystery was still out there: How?
Artemis reached in his shirt. Blood was coming out of a wound. But this wound was not all that large. The bullet was imbedded in his skin only a few millimeters. How? The gold coin Holly had given him had slowed the bullet. The gold coin now had a second hole through; the one Holly shot through it for him, and now, the hole from this bullet. Of course the gold couldn't completely keep the bullet from going through but it stopped the bullet from killing him and that was all that mattered.
Using his fingers, Artemis pulled out the bullet gingerly. Even though it hadn't created a mortal wound it still hurt. It dropped to the floor with a small clink. The room was deadly quiet. He was the first to break the awkward silence.
"Well. Let's get that DNA we need. Standing around isn't going to do us much good." Everyone but Captain Short nodded. She was still standing there with a shocked expression on her face. She stared at Artemis. To her, it still didn't seem possible. Thankfully, she got over it and snapped back to what we like to call reality when he asked her for a hand.
The others had already entered and were searching the room cautiously for the DNA they needed. Holly wearily helped Artemis to his feet, but she still gave him a strange look. Artemis felt really uncomfortable for one of the first times in his life. There was something in Holly's gaze that confused him.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity of just staring at the other she said, "Why did you keep that?" This wasn't a question he had ever anticipated in answering, so he had no alibis, no lies, no half-truths to use in his time of panic.
"I wanted something to remember the People." He stated blandly. It wasn't a lie really. He had wanted to remember the People. But he wanted to remember a specific member of the People. Something in the deepest, darkest part of his subconscious always wanted to remember Hol-Captain Short. Oh who cares? Holly. That's what he always wanted to call her, as of it was her name, but that would be, what would you call it? Unprofessional.
When he had been mind-wiped and he couldn't remember or recall anything relating to the People, he had always felt something was missing. It was his friendship, if you could call it that, with Holly. He always felt they had a friendship and not just toleration for the other. He valued what he thought of as a friendship with Holly. Just like he valued his friendship with Butler and Juliet.
"Oh." She said. Holly was very good at hiding her emotions but Artemis could tell she was a little disappointed. Maybe I should have told her the full truth, Artemis thought. Holly walked into the room with the others just as Artemis decided to tell her. He definitely couldn't do it if others were in the room with him. Oh well, maybe next time, he thought despairingly.
A/N~ Please review and tell me what you thought about this chapter.
Koboi Labs, Haven, Underground
Everything appeared to be moving in slow motion. The pistol fired and the bullet flew into Artemis' chest. When it hit him he shook and rocked on his feet and then fell slowly to the ground. His eyes were shut tightly and his teeth gritted together as they all waited for what was to come next.
Ashamed was Butler. It was his duty to protect Artemis until the day he, not Artemis, died. What would Madame Ko think? He had failed to protect the principal. That would be awful enough. But this was one of his closest friends. Butler had known him since the day Mrs. Fowl had given birth to him. They had had a lot of good times and memorable adventures that will put a smile on his face whenever he thought of them. But Artemis would never get to think of them again.
There was nothing any of the fairies with magic could do. Without Foaly they didn't have a clue as to magical surgery. Sure, Holly had done it before but she had instruction and a guide to aid her. Things really could fall apart when Foaly wasn't there.
Holly really didn't care whether or not she knew how to heal him, but she sure as hell would try to. She hopped up from her position on the floor and ran over as fast as her short legs could carry her to where Artemis was lying on the floor. She paused a moment trying to conjure up her memories of the healing she did, successfully might we add, on Butler. Holly was about to take his shirt off to get to the wound when something truly miraculous happened.
Artemis sat up.
Gasps were heard all around. Holly jumped back in shock and her mouth was hanging open so wide that a swear toad could have jumped in and jumped out without her even noticing. She, nor could anyone else, couldn't believe it. But I, I-, Holly thought. I just- he was just- shot for Fronds sake! There was no possible way. A shot like that would have killed him. He wasn't even wearing a bulletproof vest!
Artemis' POV
Finally, he thought. Koboi may think she is the most intelligent creature in the world but there is no beating Artemis Fowl the Second. And Hol- Captain Short thought it would take days. I can't believe they are all sitting down looking exhausted. I'm the one who did all the work. But, then again, that flight could really take a lot of energy out of a person. I hope she doesn't drive when we get out of here. That is one flight I never want to have to experience again. Ever.
"Got it!" he said joyfully. Spiro's locks on the door protecting my C Cube was tough, but this, this was quite a challenge. Then again, it was nothing I couldn't handle.
Artemis stood up and fiddled with the knob until it opened. He swung the door wide open, ready for anything. All, of course, except what actually was there.
He looked down at a rusty, old twenty-two mounted in a chunk of wood, made specifically to hold the gun. The gun was aimed directly at the center point of his chest. Then Artemis had a sudden sense of seeing that before. That gun looks awfully familiar.
That's when he realized it. When they were in the warehouse rescuing Holly, Koboi was on the plasma screen. She had been fiddling with something. Twirling it in her hand like it was a baton. It was the gun. And when they had confronted Koboi after their little venture in the Artic. It had been strapped to her belt loop.
She didn't fire it though. She didn't try to go out with a bang. Literally. That probably meant that she was saving it for a purpose. Opal knew that with Foaly in her clutches Artemis would be the one to undo all of her security devices. She had made it easy. So that he would get a sense of false security. So that he would throw precautions to the wind when he opened that door. And he had fell for it.
Normal POV
Artemis just blinked. Even though he was glad to not be dead it still seemed as though he should be. That bullet should have been coming out his back it hit so hard and fast. But by some miracle, it didn't.
He looked up at Holly, who still had her mouth hanging wide open, then at Butler. Butler had an expression similar to Holly's on his face. Everyone's shock was evident. There was no getting around it. But the mystery was still out there: How?
Artemis reached in his shirt. Blood was coming out of a wound. But this wound was not all that large. The bullet was imbedded in his skin only a few millimeters. How? The gold coin Holly had given him had slowed the bullet. The gold coin now had a second hole through; the one Holly shot through it for him, and now, the hole from this bullet. Of course the gold couldn't completely keep the bullet from going through but it stopped the bullet from killing him and that was all that mattered.
Using his fingers, Artemis pulled out the bullet gingerly. Even though it hadn't created a mortal wound it still hurt. It dropped to the floor with a small clink. The room was deadly quiet. He was the first to break the awkward silence.
"Well. Let's get that DNA we need. Standing around isn't going to do us much good." Everyone but Captain Short nodded. She was still standing there with a shocked expression on her face. She stared at Artemis. To her, it still didn't seem possible. Thankfully, she got over it and snapped back to what we like to call reality when he asked her for a hand.
The others had already entered and were searching the room cautiously for the DNA they needed. Holly wearily helped Artemis to his feet, but she still gave him a strange look. Artemis felt really uncomfortable for one of the first times in his life. There was something in Holly's gaze that confused him.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity of just staring at the other she said, "Why did you keep that?" This wasn't a question he had ever anticipated in answering, so he had no alibis, no lies, no half-truths to use in his time of panic.
"I wanted something to remember the People." He stated blandly. It wasn't a lie really. He had wanted to remember the People. But he wanted to remember a specific member of the People. Something in the deepest, darkest part of his subconscious always wanted to remember Hol-Captain Short. Oh who cares? Holly. That's what he always wanted to call her, as of it was her name, but that would be, what would you call it? Unprofessional.
When he had been mind-wiped and he couldn't remember or recall anything relating to the People, he had always felt something was missing. It was his friendship, if you could call it that, with Holly. He always felt they had a friendship and not just toleration for the other. He valued what he thought of as a friendship with Holly. Just like he valued his friendship with Butler and Juliet.
"Oh." She said. Holly was very good at hiding her emotions but Artemis could tell she was a little disappointed. Maybe I should have told her the full truth, Artemis thought. Holly walked into the room with the others just as Artemis decided to tell her. He definitely couldn't do it if others were in the room with him. Oh well, maybe next time, he thought despairingly.
A/N~ Please review and tell me what you thought about this chapter.