Midnight Solace
Ch. 3
Disclaimer - My psychologists have convinced me I am not Eoin Colfer. That means I don't own Artemis Fowl.
The next thirty seconds would seem a blur, seeing as the trigger on that particular pistol was never pulled. Before the murder that was scheduled could take place, a hero rose from an unexpected spot. A female administered a spinning kick to the head of the man holding the pistol. The assassin was knocked backwards, falling against the wall of the boutique, where the female figure continued to disarm him, and knock him into submission using series of frontal strikes, all of them a blur. The pistol in question lay on the floor, dismantled.
The figure, to both Artemis' and Butlers' shock was not Juliet. It was Claudia. The strange female smirked, "We can't have the genius boy going off and getting himself murdered, can we?" She asked no one in particular. "No, it would be better if we kept him alive." She answered her own question, her voice differing as if she was pretending to be another person.
"I think we need to return to the Manor." Butler told his young master. Artemis nodded, his silence signaling that he was scheming. "That might be smart." Claudia added picking up the pieces of the dismantled pistol. She doubted the assassin would need them today, or at all seeing as his employer would most likely have his head in exchange for his failure.
Later that evening the two Butlers, the one Fowl and a suspicious waitress/bodyguard were gathered in the fowl lounge. Claudia pulled on a thin leather cord, which dangled, from her neck, spinning it around and pulling it over her head. On it was a particularly familiar golden disk. "Put this in your laptop, Artemis." The girl instructed, pulling the disk off of its leather cord. Artemis departed from the room, heading to his study.
Artemis swung the door open wide, craving answers, he walked briskly over to his computer tower and flat plasma screen monitor. He pushed the eject button for the tray, letting it slide out of it's position, he laid the disk on it, and pushed the tray back into the tower. A few clicks of the mouse brought up a video file.
A younger version of Artemis took the screen, a pale face against a black background. The older Artemis affixed his sleek, silver framed glasses on his nose. They where small ovals, accenting his face well. The optometrist had prescribed them for his nearsighted condition.
"Well, I suppose you're wondering what the bleeding hell is going on. I am Artemis Fowl the Second, as you most likely know. But I am here to reveal things to you that you don't know." The Artemis on the monitor smirked. "Or at least don't remember."
The video file cut off, and a list of files popped up. Including ones labeled "ransom", "C cube", and of course, translations of the Book, pages 1-44. And, of course a letter to himself explaining the apparent "mind-wipe" he had gone through. Artemis skimmed every one of the pages, memory after memory returning to him as he did so. Artemis sighed, rubbing at his temples. Total recall of two years worth of memories is a bit tiring. The one thing that puzzled him was why Claudia, this girl he had never even met before had the disk, when Mulch was supposed to have had it.
"But, how did you come across the disk?" Artemis thought aloud.
"Well, I can answer that. Mulch was released, as planned. But, he couldn't keep himself clean. He ended up with another warrant and decided he needed a partner. He chose me, gave me the disk, and told me to deliver it to you. Of course, after your parent where murdered." She was cut off by." You mean after their accident." He proclaimed.
"No. I'm sorry, but jet crashes don't usually cause someone being murdered by a bullet to the head. You know they where murdered as well as I. Anyways, after they where killed, Mulch said for me to protect you. It came earlier in the process than I expected, but Mulch said that you couldn't be harmed."
"And why would Mulch pick an ordinary teenage girl such as yourself?" Artemis asked again.
"Ordinary. I am far from ordinary! I'm a motherfu.." The young girl stopped. Mulch had warned her not to curse in front of the intellectually gifted teenager. She smiled smartly, and continued.
"That is where you are quite incorrect. I am a hybrid. For some reason my mom decided it necessary to fall in love with a human, have a freak of a kid, and then run away. I am half fairy and half human. I appear to be human, but I retain most fairy magicks, but only some of their weaknesses." Claudia answered the human. She had the ability to heal, shield and use the mesmer, even her life would be prolonged. But, she had to complete the ritual and because of her fairy half, she had to be invited into personal dwellings. Her human half allowed her to enter public dwellings and retain her magic. Because of her Fairy half, the cold weather and pollution in the water and air bothered her continuously. She could hear every mouse or insect moving through the night, and barely slept because of this. (Boy, wouldn't Foaly love to get a hold on her...)
"Amazing." Artemis breathed. It went against almost all of the laws of nature. It also answered many questions. Why her voice was so stunning, as well as her eyes. Why there were bruises and cuts on her arms the night before, and how they had miraculously disappeared.
But, on to more serious matters. Who was trying to murder Artemis and why? "Everybody, please exit. I have pondering to do." Artemis ordered. Claudia wasn't pleased with being ordered around, yet followed the other two bodyguards out of the study.
Artemis fell forward on his desk; a tear dropped from one of his eyes, landing on the dark, polished wood. It looked like a single raindrop on a lake. It would be easier of pull names out of a hat than to make educated guesses on who would want Artemis dead. Obviously the same people who killed his parents. He finally comes out of the manor and he gets shot at. The irony was too funny for Artemis to laugh at.
He felt as if the ground had been pulled right out from under him. His intelligence was near useless unless he could plot and plan. The lack of information was so huge. There where a few prospects he could think of. Jon Spiro, Arno Blunt, General Cudgeon, Opal Koboi. He could rule out almost rule out the latter two. It wasn't likely they would hire a human assassin to kill him. Oh, no they would want to do it themselves. With their bare hands. It was then he was struck with an idea. The raven-haired heir tapped his headset, turning it on. "Juliet, send somebody up with sliced kiwi, carambola and caviar." He said into it, his fingers beginning to glide once again across the keyboard.
Carambola! Really, why couldn't the little dude just say Star fruit? It would make it much easier on the blonde-headed Butler if she didn't have to read the labels of ALL of the fruit in the crisper. Of course, Artemis wasn't really little anymore. Not really. Sixteen-year-olds really shouldn't use such big words. It sends adults into a state of shock before they can even comprehend what you have just said. Juliet, though scowling, pulled two star fruits and four kiwi's from the crisper and began slicing them, and throwing the slices onto a porcelain.
Claudia was wondering around the manor, the decor amazing her. Just where she had always pictured herself living, away from her jerk of a father and away from their tiny house. Claudia paused, looking into a room that looked like it had come straight out of the Victorian era, with two dim spotlights resting on a shined black grand piano. Claudia walked towards it slowly, gracefully. She sat at the bench, letting her fingers rest lightly. Her fingers felt as at home on the ivory keys as Artemis' did on his computers'. Apart from combat, her strong point had always been music, singing and piano. Her fingers swept into the all too familiar motion of the Moonlight Sonata. The piano was barely out of tune, but other than that the sound was rich, deep and intoxicating.
A perfect moment. All ruined by Juliet's annoying voice buzzing through Claudia's headset. "Claudia, could you take this fruit up to Artemis?" Asked the blonde. Claudia sighed, sliding her fingers away from the piano's keys. "Sure." She said, standing and gliding out of the room. She didn't have much of a choice. Her fairy half demanded that she had to do just what the owners of the dwelling asked of her. It wasn't a very long trip to the kitchen where a plate of star fruit, kiwi and...caviar waited for Claudia. She picked it up, extremely waitress-like. She gliding up the velvet carpeted stairs at an even pace.
She knocked on the door of Artemis' study, which she had just been thrown out of nearly fifteen minutes before. "Yes?" The teenager asked. "It's your servant girl. I hear you requested service." Claudia said, throwing open the door and walking over to the desk, and plopping down the porcelain plate. Artemis had watched her strangely since she had entered. "What, was I supposed to curtsey, your highness?" She asked bitterly.
"Fork." was the only thing that Artemis could manage to say. This being, this girl positively amazed him. For a moment her eyes where glowing, glowing with something hard to decipher. It was the challenge that attracted him. The fact that her whole existence was a layer of walls, locks, doors, anything to keep people out, to keep them away from her. To protect herself. Her exterior was tough and imposing, but her eyes...
Oh, how her eyes betrayed her. They appeared so raw and wounded, as if she had been hurt and betrayed more than humanly possibly. The girl broke the spell by reaching behind her, and flipping the requested utensil out of her back pocket. A wave of thick black hair fell in front of her face as she reached to hand the fork to Artemis. She was wearing her mask again. The mask of professionalism and concentration.
Claudia turned her back to him. "Anything else?" She asked over her shoulder. "No, you may go on your way..."
But, Claudia was already headed to the door.
"Stop." Artemis commanded. The girls' feet froze.
"Tell me, what benefits are you reaping from this?"
"My mother. I wanted revenge. Mulch promised to get me into Haven, so I could pay her a visit. Just so she knows what she's done to me." Answered Claudia automatically. "You may go." Artemis said, turning to his fruit and caviar. Claudia left the study, slamming the door and cursing him.
(Just so you know, The Villain will make an appearance in the next chapter.)