Disclaimer: Artemis Fowl and other related characters are not mine. They
are copyrighted to and are works of Eoin Colfer's.
Rise of the Fomorians
Act One: Overture
Scene One: Out of the desk and into the fryer
Holly backed against the wall, her Neutrino Blaster 200 held at the ready. Well-trained eyes enhanced by night vision goggles scanned the area with no difficulty. The junction in the hallway she was located in was dark and still save for the flecks of light and sound downtown Haven shed within the hallway's gloomy and shabby exterior. A rapid glance towards her obscure wrist COM revealed that the target was lay somewhere to the right leading within the ground level interior of the warehouse she was in. The same glance confirmed that her back up team was still precious minutes away. A few precious minutes that could not be spared.
The solitary female captain of LEP knew she was breaching standard operating procedures once more by going on ahead without her assigned squad for back up, but it was crucial that she at least detain the target until the main "cavalry", so to speak, arrived. Her thoughts flickered to her would be red-faced commander if he knew what his wayward subordinate was already doing. Her career could not afford another serious blow, especially with the Internal Affairs watching like a hawk on a wounded prey. However, the capture of this target was so important that, she briefly hoped, Commander Root as well as Internal Affairs would oversee it. She remained in position for a few precious seconds before easing into the shadows and proceeding into the darkened hallway.
As we follow our heroine through her daring risky venture down into the darkness to meet gods knew what, perhaps a little history would suffice to explain the forest of questions growing on the soil of our heads. A flashback would be most appropriate
A week earlier
Holly slipped into the Operations Booth very late in the day. The octagonal room was dark save for the plasma screens and various collections of lights that flickered on and off. It seemed vacant. Why shouldn't it be? It really was late. Even the greater part of the headquarters was vacant. Her steps were silent and her movements stealthy. She held a breath, hoping Foaly didn't know just yet.
The female captain flinched as the overhead lights flipped open silently, focusing her with its powerful beams. Foaly's trademark customized chair swiveled around to reveal the centaur himself with a smirk on his lips. "You got it," he stated simply.
Holly didn't answer. She didn't need to. It didn't take a genius to figure out the answer from the smile Holly was wearing.
Foaly laughed, slapping a hand against the armrest of his chair. "I don't believe it," he crowed, "To think Julius actually gave you the Mercury assignment."
"If you didn't believe it, then why are you still here waiting for me?" shot back the elf.
"For you're information," retorted the centaur, "I was here because I needed to finish up some check ups that I didn't want to do tomorrow."
Normally, Holly would have given the sarcastic technician, at the very least, a very snide remark but not today. Today was a very good day. "It's an end, Foaly!" she breathed, forgetting all about their little squabble moments before, "An end to all the desk work I've been sitting my rear to for the past two years! My own assignment! My own team!"
Foaly shook his head, thinking that Holly was perhaps overreacting. But then again, considering that she'd been stuck with, for the better part, desk work for two solid years with the only field assignments consisting of subduing the occasional goblin gang because of her last part in the affairs of one Artemis Fowl, she had her excuses. "Part of a team," corrected the LEP tech before snickering, "So how'd he phrase it? Ol' Birchwood just couldn't take it anymore?" Birchwood was one of the captains underneath Root's division.
"Ugh," shrugged the elf, though still smiling. She threw herself on another chair Foaly usually kept for brief visitors in the Operations Booth. "You know the Commander. He phrased it in such a way to mean that I'm just subordinate for Birchwood then the usual routine of yell a lot, yatta yatta, I'll have your badge if you don't do this right, yell a lot, yatta yatta. He was surprisingly good about it at the end, though," she replied. "He said that this was an important test for me. Both to determine if I was tame enough to follow orders and to see just how good I am." Holly said this all with good humor although there was a slight grimace on her pretty features. "Root knows I'm good enough. My record is impressive," she continued.
"Yeah," snorted Foaly, "an impressive that goes two ways: like mountains and valleys."
"Shut up," shot back Holly, but only half-heartedly. She knew it was the truth.
"I notice that there's still no aboveground assignment clearance even though that's what Recon officers are supposed to do," said Foaly, golden eyes glinting.
"Apart from the Hamburg incident, the Council still thinks that I'm going to. I don't know!" she cried, frustration leaking into her pretty features despite the delight that had suffused her dark complexion moments ago. "I don't know what they'll think is worse: Me fighting with that Fowl or me working with him. "
"You seem to be dangerous either way, Captain," commented Foaly lightly before skillfully steering the subject to a different direction. It had been. difficult for Holly to let go of the Fowl incidents. She had been upset and, Foaly knew, would have gone aboveground to check on the Mud Boy herself if it had been permitted. But the Council, thinking it foolhardy to send her there yet, if ever, had just had Foaly monitor Artemis's networks and passed the monthly field visual check up to Captain Trouble Kelp. There were plenty of illegal activities; what else would one expect from Artemis Fowl? But, there was nothing pointing to the fairies. Yet.
Holly had kept quiet about it to most everyone but she told Foaly once, and he had seen her thinking it more than once, that she thought Artemis, somehow, someway, would beat the mind wipe. Impossible, according to logical facts of the case, but it had also been impossible to escape the time stop hadn't it? There was something about that Mud Boy that made you think twice. Or was it just anxiety?
Foaly didn't like to admit it, but Holly seemed to be harboring more than anxiety. Could it be guilt? Care that the Mud Boy had reverted to the ice hearted individual he had once been? She had said it herself that they were almost friends. Now Foaly didn't believe it true. How could any fairy in their right minds be friends with their kidnapper, be a friend to someone who continually exploited the People? But Holly was an elf, and a strange one. Elves were emotional fairies already without Holly's personality combination in the mixture. In any case, best to stay clear of that Artemis Fowl.
"So what did Root give you? Birchwood's team, I expect, if you're just a subordinate," asked the centaur.
Holly nodded once, a smirk twitching on her lips. She leaned forward, her smirk taking a dangerous edge, "And you."
"What?!" exclaimed Foaly, sitting up in his chair. "But I-"
"I know, I know," cut in Holly. "But Root thought this assignment merited technical back up." She waved the paperwork she had been carrying signed by Root as testimony to her statements, "I have access to everything you got in the Booth and more."
Foaly snorted and caught the offending piece of paper. He scanned it quickly just to check Holly wasn't tricking him. "Hmph," he snorted again and tossed the paper back to her. "What, you're that bad that you can't catch a petty thief without little ol' me?" he baited.
Holly ignored that comment again, knowing he was deliberately wheedling for compliments. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," said Holly listlessly, "whatever you say, Foaly. Listen, I just need updates on some blasters and then.." The captain began listing all the possible equipment she'd need.
"Whoa, captain," cautioned Foaly, "going a little overboard, wouldn't you think? You sure you need all that?" He smirked, "Or are you overdoing it because of nerves?"
Holly glared at him, "For your information, genius, I happen to know exactly what I need and when and how." She smiled at the way Foaly's brow rose. "Yes, I've been doing a little homework of my own on Mercury. He's going to be in for a big surprise." Although Foaly said nothing, when Holly smiled like that, an eerie reminiscence of someone he couldn't quite place, he could well believe anything she said.
In the interval that follows our heroine between this significant beginning and the next relevant event, it would presumably satisfy ourselves with a little history about this Mercury case that Captain Short has mentioned.
The target was codenamed Mercury. He was thus aptly labeled for his remarkable skills to elude capture no matter the security against him. For months now the LEP had been tracking down the criminal for charges of varying degrees of burglary and larceny. He began his career six months ago appearing here and there, at first, merely robbing a few civilians. Within a terrifyingly short amount of time the thefts escalated from pilfering random Haven citizens to raiding opulent fairy mansions and bank branches. To understate the gravity of the situation, it took a highly experienced thief half a century at the least to pull off a heist on a fairy bank with a success rate of 53%. To date, only three people had done it. One of them was Mercury. By himself it seemed.
As usual, if a crime spree escalated to such proportions, the Lower Elements Police assigned a captain, or several captains if the situation were grave enough (such as the goblin revolution two years ago), to oversee the case. The better part of the Mercury case had been handled by a Captain Birchwood underneath Commander Root's division. Though he ranked low, not too many criminals got away against Commander Root's captains. Well, with the remarkable exception of a rare few, no names mentioned. Nonetheless, Mercury turned out to be one of the rare few. So far, all Birchwood had done had egged Mercury on. Now the thief began dropping off little puzzles to the LEP. He may as well have told them for all it challenged Foaly, but the thief seemed even more delighted that they knew where he was going to steal an item. Delighted, that is, because despite the numerous stakeouts and elaborate traps Birchwood arranged, they could not catch even an incriminating picture much less the actual thief. Not only that, Root had been reluctant to replace him as at that time an intense crime wave had washed over the city. They were short of fairies; they did not have a surplus of them. So despite the very obvious reasons and reluctance, Birchwood had been assigned the aid of Captain Holly Short where she could be useful and watched. You had to hand it to Internal Affairs for carrying grudges.
In truth, Holly was more or less the actual fairy in charge of the assignment. Birchwood had been contracted by Root to focus mainly on the numerous reports of unusual disappearances and assaults happening all over the remote tunnels far from Haven. There had been reports of new mysterious fairies that terrorized the country fairies en masse. Half of the LEP had the assignment while the other half worked on the crimes within the city. Yep, it was busy season for the LEP.
Despite the various complications and strange occurrences that chanced to give her this opportunity, Holly truly was delighted. On the field was where she belonged, not to some stuffy old desk with paperwork. Oh yes, Captain Holly Short was back.
Rise of the Fomorians
Act One: Overture
Scene One: Out of the desk and into the fryer
Holly backed against the wall, her Neutrino Blaster 200 held at the ready. Well-trained eyes enhanced by night vision goggles scanned the area with no difficulty. The junction in the hallway she was located in was dark and still save for the flecks of light and sound downtown Haven shed within the hallway's gloomy and shabby exterior. A rapid glance towards her obscure wrist COM revealed that the target was lay somewhere to the right leading within the ground level interior of the warehouse she was in. The same glance confirmed that her back up team was still precious minutes away. A few precious minutes that could not be spared.
The solitary female captain of LEP knew she was breaching standard operating procedures once more by going on ahead without her assigned squad for back up, but it was crucial that she at least detain the target until the main "cavalry", so to speak, arrived. Her thoughts flickered to her would be red-faced commander if he knew what his wayward subordinate was already doing. Her career could not afford another serious blow, especially with the Internal Affairs watching like a hawk on a wounded prey. However, the capture of this target was so important that, she briefly hoped, Commander Root as well as Internal Affairs would oversee it. She remained in position for a few precious seconds before easing into the shadows and proceeding into the darkened hallway.
As we follow our heroine through her daring risky venture down into the darkness to meet gods knew what, perhaps a little history would suffice to explain the forest of questions growing on the soil of our heads. A flashback would be most appropriate
A week earlier
Holly slipped into the Operations Booth very late in the day. The octagonal room was dark save for the plasma screens and various collections of lights that flickered on and off. It seemed vacant. Why shouldn't it be? It really was late. Even the greater part of the headquarters was vacant. Her steps were silent and her movements stealthy. She held a breath, hoping Foaly didn't know just yet.
The female captain flinched as the overhead lights flipped open silently, focusing her with its powerful beams. Foaly's trademark customized chair swiveled around to reveal the centaur himself with a smirk on his lips. "You got it," he stated simply.
Holly didn't answer. She didn't need to. It didn't take a genius to figure out the answer from the smile Holly was wearing.
Foaly laughed, slapping a hand against the armrest of his chair. "I don't believe it," he crowed, "To think Julius actually gave you the Mercury assignment."
"If you didn't believe it, then why are you still here waiting for me?" shot back the elf.
"For you're information," retorted the centaur, "I was here because I needed to finish up some check ups that I didn't want to do tomorrow."
Normally, Holly would have given the sarcastic technician, at the very least, a very snide remark but not today. Today was a very good day. "It's an end, Foaly!" she breathed, forgetting all about their little squabble moments before, "An end to all the desk work I've been sitting my rear to for the past two years! My own assignment! My own team!"
Foaly shook his head, thinking that Holly was perhaps overreacting. But then again, considering that she'd been stuck with, for the better part, desk work for two solid years with the only field assignments consisting of subduing the occasional goblin gang because of her last part in the affairs of one Artemis Fowl, she had her excuses. "Part of a team," corrected the LEP tech before snickering, "So how'd he phrase it? Ol' Birchwood just couldn't take it anymore?" Birchwood was one of the captains underneath Root's division.
"Ugh," shrugged the elf, though still smiling. She threw herself on another chair Foaly usually kept for brief visitors in the Operations Booth. "You know the Commander. He phrased it in such a way to mean that I'm just subordinate for Birchwood then the usual routine of yell a lot, yatta yatta, I'll have your badge if you don't do this right, yell a lot, yatta yatta. He was surprisingly good about it at the end, though," she replied. "He said that this was an important test for me. Both to determine if I was tame enough to follow orders and to see just how good I am." Holly said this all with good humor although there was a slight grimace on her pretty features. "Root knows I'm good enough. My record is impressive," she continued.
"Yeah," snorted Foaly, "an impressive that goes two ways: like mountains and valleys."
"Shut up," shot back Holly, but only half-heartedly. She knew it was the truth.
"I notice that there's still no aboveground assignment clearance even though that's what Recon officers are supposed to do," said Foaly, golden eyes glinting.
"Apart from the Hamburg incident, the Council still thinks that I'm going to. I don't know!" she cried, frustration leaking into her pretty features despite the delight that had suffused her dark complexion moments ago. "I don't know what they'll think is worse: Me fighting with that Fowl or me working with him. "
"You seem to be dangerous either way, Captain," commented Foaly lightly before skillfully steering the subject to a different direction. It had been. difficult for Holly to let go of the Fowl incidents. She had been upset and, Foaly knew, would have gone aboveground to check on the Mud Boy herself if it had been permitted. But the Council, thinking it foolhardy to send her there yet, if ever, had just had Foaly monitor Artemis's networks and passed the monthly field visual check up to Captain Trouble Kelp. There were plenty of illegal activities; what else would one expect from Artemis Fowl? But, there was nothing pointing to the fairies. Yet.
Holly had kept quiet about it to most everyone but she told Foaly once, and he had seen her thinking it more than once, that she thought Artemis, somehow, someway, would beat the mind wipe. Impossible, according to logical facts of the case, but it had also been impossible to escape the time stop hadn't it? There was something about that Mud Boy that made you think twice. Or was it just anxiety?
Foaly didn't like to admit it, but Holly seemed to be harboring more than anxiety. Could it be guilt? Care that the Mud Boy had reverted to the ice hearted individual he had once been? She had said it herself that they were almost friends. Now Foaly didn't believe it true. How could any fairy in their right minds be friends with their kidnapper, be a friend to someone who continually exploited the People? But Holly was an elf, and a strange one. Elves were emotional fairies already without Holly's personality combination in the mixture. In any case, best to stay clear of that Artemis Fowl.
"So what did Root give you? Birchwood's team, I expect, if you're just a subordinate," asked the centaur.
Holly nodded once, a smirk twitching on her lips. She leaned forward, her smirk taking a dangerous edge, "And you."
"What?!" exclaimed Foaly, sitting up in his chair. "But I-"
"I know, I know," cut in Holly. "But Root thought this assignment merited technical back up." She waved the paperwork she had been carrying signed by Root as testimony to her statements, "I have access to everything you got in the Booth and more."
Foaly snorted and caught the offending piece of paper. He scanned it quickly just to check Holly wasn't tricking him. "Hmph," he snorted again and tossed the paper back to her. "What, you're that bad that you can't catch a petty thief without little ol' me?" he baited.
Holly ignored that comment again, knowing he was deliberately wheedling for compliments. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," said Holly listlessly, "whatever you say, Foaly. Listen, I just need updates on some blasters and then.." The captain began listing all the possible equipment she'd need.
"Whoa, captain," cautioned Foaly, "going a little overboard, wouldn't you think? You sure you need all that?" He smirked, "Or are you overdoing it because of nerves?"
Holly glared at him, "For your information, genius, I happen to know exactly what I need and when and how." She smiled at the way Foaly's brow rose. "Yes, I've been doing a little homework of my own on Mercury. He's going to be in for a big surprise." Although Foaly said nothing, when Holly smiled like that, an eerie reminiscence of someone he couldn't quite place, he could well believe anything she said.
In the interval that follows our heroine between this significant beginning and the next relevant event, it would presumably satisfy ourselves with a little history about this Mercury case that Captain Short has mentioned.
The target was codenamed Mercury. He was thus aptly labeled for his remarkable skills to elude capture no matter the security against him. For months now the LEP had been tracking down the criminal for charges of varying degrees of burglary and larceny. He began his career six months ago appearing here and there, at first, merely robbing a few civilians. Within a terrifyingly short amount of time the thefts escalated from pilfering random Haven citizens to raiding opulent fairy mansions and bank branches. To understate the gravity of the situation, it took a highly experienced thief half a century at the least to pull off a heist on a fairy bank with a success rate of 53%. To date, only three people had done it. One of them was Mercury. By himself it seemed.
As usual, if a crime spree escalated to such proportions, the Lower Elements Police assigned a captain, or several captains if the situation were grave enough (such as the goblin revolution two years ago), to oversee the case. The better part of the Mercury case had been handled by a Captain Birchwood underneath Commander Root's division. Though he ranked low, not too many criminals got away against Commander Root's captains. Well, with the remarkable exception of a rare few, no names mentioned. Nonetheless, Mercury turned out to be one of the rare few. So far, all Birchwood had done had egged Mercury on. Now the thief began dropping off little puzzles to the LEP. He may as well have told them for all it challenged Foaly, but the thief seemed even more delighted that they knew where he was going to steal an item. Delighted, that is, because despite the numerous stakeouts and elaborate traps Birchwood arranged, they could not catch even an incriminating picture much less the actual thief. Not only that, Root had been reluctant to replace him as at that time an intense crime wave had washed over the city. They were short of fairies; they did not have a surplus of them. So despite the very obvious reasons and reluctance, Birchwood had been assigned the aid of Captain Holly Short where she could be useful and watched. You had to hand it to Internal Affairs for carrying grudges.
In truth, Holly was more or less the actual fairy in charge of the assignment. Birchwood had been contracted by Root to focus mainly on the numerous reports of unusual disappearances and assaults happening all over the remote tunnels far from Haven. There had been reports of new mysterious fairies that terrorized the country fairies en masse. Half of the LEP had the assignment while the other half worked on the crimes within the city. Yep, it was busy season for the LEP.
Despite the various complications and strange occurrences that chanced to give her this opportunity, Holly truly was delighted. On the field was where she belonged, not to some stuffy old desk with paperwork. Oh yes, Captain Holly Short was back.