Chappy five

The computer Foaly was on beeped with an E-mail.

"Artemis has another E-mail, who keeps sending those?" He muttered.

"No that kid again?" Root moaned remembering past years with the teenager, he sighed and leant forward still chewing his cigar. "What's it say?"

"Ha ha! The little brat stole some guy's car keys! But it's an invitation to a café sounds more like a threat actually."

"So what?" Root asked

"You don't think it's more than a coincidence that we get robbed and Artemis gets threat's via E-mail on the same day?" Holly asked.

"I wanna check it out," She said glancing at Root.

"Ooo," Foaly cooed.

"Shuttup Foaly,"

Artemis sat on the comfy red satin cushion on one of the chairs at Kindle Corner Café. Butler stood behind him in his usual black suit.

"We'll you may as well sit down," he sighed, he'd been waiting for over an hour now, the letter hadn't said a time so he turned up at 2 o'clock, and it was now 3:15.

Butler took a seat across from Artemis, a waitress came over and asked for an order, Artemis ordered his fifth flat white. He glanced at Butler,

"Maybe it was a prank," He scolded thinking off teenagers laughing there heads off at them still sitting there. That was one of the reasons he like that café, no teenagers running about, in-fact if there wasn't any staff the little café seemed abandoned.

"Here ya go," the waitress interrupted his line of thought, Artemis grunted in reply.

The waitress looked a bit downhearted but walked away.

"No offence but you need to learn how to socialize, the noble prize insist going to do that for you, and you could try being a little nicer," Artemis blink in surprised, it was rare that Butler ever suggested or even gave him advice on his life. He paused for a moment.

"And did that just fell like a de-ja-vu' to you?" he added, Artemis nodded slightly, if it wasn't for Butler feeling the same things, he would have considered himself insane. Butler could keep him safe on the outside but what would happen if someone tried missing with his brain? No, he had to high an IQ to be overrun by brainwashing, didn't he?

Butler stood up and walked behind Artemis again. It took a moment for Artemis to realize a man was coming over to their table.

"Good afternoon gentlemen," he said sitting across for Artemis. Artemis studied the man, a dark suit like his, with a raspberry coloured shirt underneath.

"I believe you are Artemis," the man smiled, half hidden by dark glasses.

"You're younger than I expected,"

Artemis smirked at this remark.

"Matter of fact the younger the better," he smiled and took of his sunglasses to reveal chocolate brown eyes. He stretched out is hand which Artemis noticed had scars old and new.

"I'm Chris," He smiled easily,

"I take it you're the one that robbed me then,"

Chris laughed, and leaned back casually.

"Indeed I did, but it's all in good fun," he said giving Artemis a playful punch; Butler punched Chris back twice as hard almost knocking him off his chair. The startled man blinked a few times, and then rubbed his shoulder as if to bring life back to it.

"Good to see one of gets the joke eh?" he asked Artemis glaring at Butler.

"First things first..." Chris started.

"Have you got a weapon?" Artemis cut him off, Chris laughed deep in his throat.

"I had already noticed your... err, 'friend' does, so is it not fair that I to have one?"

Artemis nodded in agreement.

"Fair enough..."

A sudden flutter of features made the males jump, about fifty pigeons had been startled by a girl running through them. Butler's hand had automatically shot to a handgun by his hip, a gas bomb hung by it and two gas masked that were small enough to fit into his pocket.

The girl finished her sprint; using one hand to support her, jumped a small fence into the coffee yard. A small shoulder bag hung around her waist and she had baggy jeans and a tight long sleeved shirt.

"Hi sorry I'm late," she muttered swinging the bag over her bleached hair and sitting herself down across from Butler at the round table. Artemis studied her for a moment from the corner of his eye, she had pale skin, the girl he had met in the park, but she had obviously tried to get rid of her gothic look with bleached hair and bright clothes. Her eyes were a rusty green and her lips were pale pink. Normally Artemis would have judged her by her clothes but she seemed to have covered herself up so much it was hard to tell her personality by the outside.

The girl glanced to Butler sitting front of her.

"Hi," she smiled.

"Stand up," Butler demanded. Glancing around then at Chris, she decided not to take her chances with the big fella and stood up. Butler went behind her and searched her sides for any weapons.

"I'm not a terrorist you know?" She muttered over her shoulder. Satisfied she didn't have a weapon he let her sit back down and went back behind Artemis.

The girl just glanced up at the big man.

"I know your Artemis but who are you?" She asked looking up at the manservant.

"That's Butler," Artemis informed her.

"And he is a...?"

"Butler,"

"Oh, a butler called Butler, how original." Chris glared at the girl; she shrugged innocently and muttered something under her breath.

"Anyways I'm Stacey,"

"Okay Stacey, what's your real name?" Artemis asked. The girl smiled.

"I'm Stella,"

"You real name,"

"Jamie,"

"Don't lie to me,"

"What use is a name anyway? Can't you just call me Stacey?"

"You know our names, why can't we know yours?"

"But I like the name Stacey,"

"Just tell me your real name,'

"What have you got against Stacey?"

Butler reached across the table and grabbed her arm.

"We don't have time for games missy," the girl winced and struggled, trying to pull her arm away. Chris sat back and let things happen.

"Okay just let go,"

"Tell us your name,"

"LET GO!" she yelled back. Artemis nodded and Butler let go, the girl pulled her hand back.

"Dam it! You've got hands like bananas... ow," she rubbed her wrist to get feeling back.

"Now you can either tell us you name, or we can force it out." Artemis said. The girl looked up still rubbing her wrist.

"What are you? some kind of sick weirdo?"

"Tasef-leerander-octok-malubrander Lee" Butler read out, the girl glanced at him in surprise.

"That's my bag! Give it back!" She yanked it off of the manservant and hugged the shoulder bag close to her.

"Take off the wire," Artemis demanded. Tase's jaw dropped and she glanced at Chris in protest. He shrugged, Tase glanced at Artemis and swallowed. Artemis smiled his vampire smile. Tase smiled back and flashed her canines that seemed longer than any Artemis had seen before. Pulling a small microphone from her ear she shoved it in her pocket.

"And give it to me," Artemis added.

"Bite me," she snapped in a quiet voice leaning back as if to get further away from Butler

"You don't learn do you?" Artemis asked. Tase smiled back and through the microphone at him; it bounced off his forehead and landed in his coffee. A small cheeky smile crossed Tase's pale lips.

"Go it right in there didn't I?" She lent forward. "Hey, it floats!" she laughed. Chris just shook his head, Artemis sighed, why of all the people in the world did he get stuck with some good for nothing teenager?

"As I said, first things first," Chris chirped, trying to get their minds off the immature teenager sitting next to him.

"May I have my car keys please?" He asked holding his hand out. Artemis glanced up at the man; he lifted his hand to show he understood.

"I see, why give me something with nothing in return? You think like a criminal boy. I like that" he paused to look at Tase whom's attention had strayed elsewhere. "Unlike this one," he muttered nodding at Tase. "Okay Mr Fowl, I have some information that I think, you'd like to have back."

"You mean the files you stole?" Artemis asked

"We'll not really, I just got a website from you, what I really need you for I would prefer to discuss somewhere less... open..."

Artemis raised an eyebrow,

"I would never..."

"NANCY!" Artemis jumped as his mother walking right into their conversation. "Oh how are you dear?" she asked.

Tase seemed startled by Mrs Fowl and forced a smile.

"Err... can't complain, you?"

"Oh I'm fine thanks for asking!" she rubbed Tase's shoulders, "You're such a sweetheart, Oh! And you must be her father?" she asked Chris. Chris stood and shook her hand.

"Ar, you must be Mrs Fowl, I see where Artemis gets his looks." Artemis could see his mother was already charmed to bits.

"I'm Chris, Tase's... father,"

Mrs fowl looked confused for a moment,

"And Nancy," he added quickly, "Their twins,"

"Oh how lovely! We'll I just had to drop something off to Arty, I've got a very busy day," She walked to Artemis and slipped a package into his hands then left as cheerfully as she had arrived.

"So whatchya got Arty?" Tase teased

"Nothing that concerns you Nancy" Artemis snapped, wait, was that sarcasm? Next he'd be teaching monkeys to ride bicycles.

He shoved the package in his pocket.

"Back to business," he sighed, Tase immediately turned around letting her gaze wonder. He watched her for a moment.

"She's scanning the area," Chris informed him, "It's her job," Artemis turned his mind back to Chris.

"Lee Ving," he muttered remembering the name, "Who is he?"

"He was Tase's adoptee father, he died, and I now look after his apartment and Tase. But as I was saying, I was wondering if I could use some of your knowledge in an operation of mine?" He asked leaning forward, Butler tensed up a bit but didn't move.

"What's the operation?"

Tase laughed at his question.

"This is going to sound so stupid."

"Fairies," Chris said ignoring Tase. Artemis lifted an eyebrow.

"They stole or peanut butter," Tase added with a laugh,

"Shuttup Tase," Chris barked. "I know it sounds stupid but..."

"I remember," Butler muttered, Artemis glanced at him, he sat still as a stone yet limp as a sleeping kitten.

"Really? That was quick," Tase muttered, "We didn't even have to say a keyword." Chris nodded in agreement but didn't take his gaze off Artemis.

"Anything Artemis?" He asked softly. Artemis glanced at Butler, he might have considered it to be one of those hidden camera shows, but Butler wouldn't turn on him, would he?

Butler seemed to come back to life and sat up straight again. He glanced at Artemis.

"Do you remember?" he asked. Artemis glanced around. Remember what?

"Okay," Tase muttered loudly turning around to face them,

"There here," she whispered to Chris. Butler instantly under stood what they were talking about, memories of the LEP were as clear as ice in his head.

"So what do you say?" Chris asked, Artemis noticed he wasn't talking to him anymore, but to Butler.

"No," Artemis shook his head, Butler paused, he knew it was up to him to decide, 1) because Artemis didn't have a clue what was going on, and 2) Because it was up to him to figure out if he refused, weather Chris would attack and if he could win.

"Yes," he said nodding, the chance of Chris being the only one who would ever know how to gain Artemis' memory back was too great, and Butler didn't want to explain all those years ago about the fairies to Artemis.

"What?" Artemis asked, maybe his faithful Butler had turned against him. "No," Artemis repeated again.

"We're going, it's probably for your own good," Butler muttered quietly. Artemis suddenly felt a feeling he rarely felt, fear. If Butler turned against him now he was stuck with two crazy men and a hypo teenager.

"Trust me," Butler said softly, Artemis tensed, unsure of what to do.

"Com'on or the whole LEP force will be here," Tase muttered under her breath to Chris. Butler paused, the LEP? They never did anything to interfere with the mud-men. Not while Julius Root was captain anyway.

"What have you got against the LEP?" Butler asked. Atremis glanced up at Butler, he was sure he had heard that word before.

Chris slipped a disk across the table.

"Give us the keys and we'll stop annoying ya," he said in a different accent. Artemis raised his eyebrows and glanced around.

"I forgot them," he shrugged, it was his turn to play.

"Matter of fact I think I dropped them in my last cup of tea when I was playing catch with them." Artemis paused, he made a joke? Maybe he was insane...

Tase turned around and poked her tongue at him.

"And for all I know there could be nothing on that disk." Artemis pointed out.

"And you wouldn't need it if you could just remember," Snapped Tase. "Com'on think harder mudman,"

With that one word it all came flooding back. The faires, the LEP, his mother his father, Holly, Root, Foaly...

"Oh," Atremis muttered blankly.

"He remembers!!!" Shouted Tase.

"Shuttup Tase," Chris growled. "We have something to discuss with you but maybe it would be better if we didn't talk in such a crowded area." Chris hinted. Artemis glanced around, now understanding that there could be a whole troop of fairies just waiting for them.

"You wouldn't be doing anything illegal would you now?" Artemis asked, sure that the LEP would never come out on an occasion like this for nothing.

"Don't be difficult Artemis." Chris advised. "We just want some information... about the LEP" He was still leaning back in he's chair looking like they were just discussing something simple like the weather. Artemis suddenly noticed something. There was no noise, all the staff had gone and the café was locked up tight.

"Look, Artemis, I'm a patient fella, but you, and your little sidekick can come with me now, or I can make you."

Butler cracked his knuckles.

"I'd like to see you try," Artemis smirked.

"You're in a deserted café in a deserted street and no one around and you just said that to Chris Appleby?" Tase asked glancing over her shoulder. "Mate you really underestimate him."

In half a millisecond Chris had pulled a handgun out of his silk jacket, but as always, Butler was two steps ahead and had taken advantage of what Tase had said and dropped one of his gas bombs in the deserted area.

(Holly's POV)

Holly had been waiting, shielded, on the roof for as long as Artemis had been there, and quite frankly she wanted a coffee herself. Then the Chris and the girl came, Holly wasn't to concerned at first, laughing at the girl calling Artemis weird and dropping the mic in his coffee, that girl was a classic.

"Is that her?" She asked Foaly through a microphone.

"Yep that's our mudpire. Tasef-leerander-octok-malubrander Lee what a mouthful, Taflerockmarlel was her father. Another mouthful, but who would seriously name there kid that?"

Holly rolled her eyes and watched the group again.

"Whose the guy?"" Holly asked.

"Chris Appleby, petty criminal. Can you hear what there saying?"

"Nope," Holly sighed. Suddenly the Chris guy pulled out a gun, but Butler was already pulling Atremis away from the fumes of a gas bomb.

"Crap!" Yelled Holly flying down to help."

WHACK!

Artemis sat in surprise, until Butler picked him up and started dragging him.

"DUCK!" Artemis yelled, but not in time, a thick piece of wood smacked the Butler over the back of the head. Butler dropped Artemis for a second and turned to his attacker. Chris stood there with a gun cocked and pointed at Butler. Tase was behind him fighting an invisible foe with the piece of wood Chris had used, she hit something the same time as Butler grabbed the gun from Chris' hands. The thing that Tase hit flew across the coffee yard and hit a wall, fell and became unshielded.

"Holly!" Artemis cried, he remembered the fairy and jumped up.

Butler glanced over at the unconscious fairy as the same time a fist flew to his face. It didn't affect him much he just turned back to the guy that had hit him.

"Come here you little brat," Chris seemed surprised he hadn't affected the Butler at all and darted over to Tase, grabbed her hand and pulled her off into the street. Butler stood unsure of what to do for a moment, then grabbed Artemis and went over to Holly.

"Tase, Tase wake up," Chris slapped the teenagers face gently, her eyes widened.

"Can't breath!" she wheezed.

"Don't worry, remember you don't have to, vampires don't have to breath, good girl."

Chris glanced around the ally,

"See? Your fine," he sat her up, "We're not done for tonight,"

"Chris," She sighed, "I'm half dead,"

"Hold you're deal Tasef," Chris barked suddenly, Tase felt her body shaking; the cold ground below her wasn't helping. Plus she had to keep her end of the deal.

"Okay, what do you want?"

"The kid, but you have to be the distraction.

"Holly wake up," Artemis shook her small body, she gave a moan then her hazel eyes fluttered open.

"Hi Holly," Butler said.

"Hey Butler," Holly replied. "What happened?"

"That Tase girl used you for baseball practice."

"Oh,"

"Yeah I don't like you much," Artemis jumped; Tase was standing overhead on the roof.

"Nothin' personal," she assured them.

"Okay why don't you just come down?" Butler asked. Tase cocked her head to the side.

"To you banana hands? Where's the gun? The one Chris dropped?"

"I don't know Tase," Butler replied in a strong firm voice, he was trained for stuff like this. Artemis scanned for the gun; it was under one of the tables.

"I haven't go the gun, so why don't you just come down?"

"You'd like that," she smirked accidentally giving her undivided attention to Butler as Artemis sneaked over to the gun, and where Chris would be waiting hidden.

"I'll kill you," Holly muttered rubbing her head.

"Yeah sorry," Tase apologised, she didn't bother with the act anymore, Chris would have Artemis and she would be free, finally.

"Maybe you should see a doctor or something," She suggested. Holly glanced up at Tase.

"Look a me for a sec," Tase starred at her for a moment before realizing her mistake. She had been caught with the mesmeriser (Sp?). But now Chris and Artemis would be long gone. And all she could do was stare at Holly.

"Nuts," She managed to squeak.

Footsteps came close to her, and she was stuck on the roof of a coffee house. There was only one thing she would be able to do, with what strength she could use. The sticky clear ooze, oozed out of her fingertips onto the tiles. She felt Butler grab her collar and try to pull her off. To his surprise she was stuck fast. He pulled again, almost yanking Tase's bones out of her sockets, but even his strength was no match for the sticky ooze.

"She's stuck," He muttered in confusion.

"No she's not," Holly muttered, Tase clenched her teeth together trying to break the mesmerise. Her whole body shivered. Butler reached for her again, Tase couldn't stick anymore and let go, Butler yanked her off the roof with such a force that when she landed she blacked out completely.

Really sorry to anyone who bothered to read my story, I'll try and add more later.