HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! I heard that FF is going to be renovated! I am sooooo touched...

neutralgal: I don't understand why you not understanding some of the words I used would be a compliment. I think you meant that I used high-class words, but I don't think that's the main aspect in writing well. Writing is all about making readers understand, and I just throw some words I know for flavor. Anyway, thank you:)

cybergurl: Sorry, this chapter won't be so long. But the next chapter will be:)

PeanutButterOreoCookieGirl99: Sorry, that's not the answer. One of my reviewers already mentioned the answer.

suga CraZie: You are far from sanity, don't worry. HAHA! Thank you for the long review!

Princess Arwen Evenstar 77: Glad you're not offended! I was kinda pissed when I was reading your story and I was even more pissed at your abrupt ending. I hope you'll have more time so you can change your story!

TrunkZy: How dare you shove Arty! How DARE you! The romance in Closer was totally uncalled for. I expected it, but WHOA, was I surprised:)


Chapter 14: Emancipation

Somewhere in Haven

A miniskirt flashed into view, along with a tight tank top and a denim jean jacket. An ostentatious pair of knee-length boots went together to complement the already flamboyant outfit. A set of accessories perched daintily on Opal's neck and ears, and she sure didn't forget her trademark, blood red lipstick.

"You look like you're going to be in a fashion show instead of seeking revenge." Spiro commented tersely. "What a fine coquette you are."

Opal grimaced. "My, my. You don't know how to respect beauty." Her frown curled more deeply as she examined Spiro head-to-toe. "You look like you've just been wrestling with a bull instead of seeking revenge."

Spiro chose to ignore her overtly. "I believe our friend Keeth has been trashed in Howler's Peak now. A prison for goblins, I heard. I hope he'll find his way out."

"No doubt he will," Opal said. "Just as you have gotten out of human jail. Criminals always have their ways."

"Stop your blabbering this instant and listen up. I have some important news to share. Do you want to hear it or not? Your choice."

"What is it," Opal muttered, annoyed.

Spiro smiled, pleased to see Opal twitch with anticipation on his every pause. "I found," he paused again and his grin widened. "A girl there." Opal was listening very attentively now. "A human girl."

"A human girl," Opal said, disappointed at this so-called big news. "So what? I guess the LEP has been associating with Mud Men. A Mud Girl, to be exact. Must they stoop down so low?"

"You are collaborating with a Mud Man yourself." Spiro retorted.

"Against my will," A smirking Opal shot back. "I must ask you something out of your puny brain, which apparently considers a Mud Girl as 'big news.' Are you absolutely certain that Artemis Fowl is not there?"

Spiro thought about it. Was he really sure? Artemis Fowl was a prodigy, but even a prodigy couldn't escape a mind wipe. Sure, he would have scattered links to his lost memory. However, the centaur would have destroyed them. At least those of the human world. Even if some evidence was hidden unknown in the world above, he would not be able to have any access to them. The only other way to reinstate a lost memory is to have seen a strong enough motivation or impression, but so far (according to his data from constant search on the Internet) no fairy has ever gone above ground since the last AF incident(All incidents regarding Artemis was referred to as the 'AF incidents').

"Well?" Opal asked, her voice rising.

"Yes, I am sure." Spiro replied.


"Ahem," said a voice.

If Artemis didn't know better, he would have jerked; but instead he simply shoved Diana's head lightly. "I have provided you relaxation; you may get off now.Holly can heal you."

"I have provided you relaxation," Diana mimicked Artemis. "Sure you did. If you consider resting your head on a brick as providing relaxation."

Calmly, Holly cupped Diana's face in her hands to heal, and as blue sparks flew and patched blood clots into new skin, she was unable to resist a grin. "I understand you two adolescents greatly enjoyed being together?"

If these two teenagers were normal, Holly would have expected them to flush red. Rather, these two were by far the wittiest, appearing-to-be-emotionless Mud People Holly had ever met. Artemis hid it well; Diana was too straightforward to be embarrassed about her feelings. Holly imagined herself being inundated with witty comments:

"Holly, do be sensible. Do you really consider me as 'enjoyed,' being a living cushion to this inane girl?"

"Next time, give me a sofa to rest on, my dear Holly. Do you think finding rest on a boy I have no interest in is easy to do?"

"Captain Short, do you realize that having a heavy weight on one's shoulder obstructs growth? I, after all, am a man in puberty. Has it escaped your attention that it is a time period to promote my growth?"

"Anyway, thanks for the good experience. It's not everyday you get to lean against a petrified human being."

Contrary to her deduction, however, there was not a sound from the two children until she looked up. Artemis looked as indifferent as ever, and Diana looked a tad guilty. Then Diana carefully opened her mouth. "Holly, Spiro has escaped."

Holly nodded "I guessed so," Holly then added, "Don't you feel too bad about it. It would have been much wiser to let go of him. Besides, it was part of the plan."

"What?" Diana looked back at Artemis angrily.

"I apologize, Diana, it indeed was," Artemis shrugged. "If the mind wipe doesn't function, we let him go. Although Holly and Root must have overlooked that possibility, and naturally thought the mind wipe would have worked. I suppose that explains why they were shouting at Keeth in such an improper fashion."

"But Artemis, I got hurt,"

"I thought you wouldn't. That was not part of the plan, as you may have noticed."

Diana glared at him. "Why did you leave me out on that particular part?"

Holly answered that for her. "It's an Arty thing. He leaves out certain parts to certain people. Only he himself knows the entire plan. It happened all the time. It probably will in the future." Holly frowned at that last thought.

After the talk had ended, Artemis couldn't resist one gibe, "I reckon the two people who truly enjoy time together will be you and Trouble Kelp."

Holly's face turned crimson. "I do not like him! I don't have anything to do with him!"

"Whatever you say, Captain Short," Artemis gave Holly one short salute.

Holly rubbed her eyes in infuriation. Artemis was changing, whether he was aware of it or not. Whether he liked it or not. He had developed a heart, discretion, and even a sense of humor. Holly feared for the condition of his brain. It would be most likely for his brain to deteriorate after such an enormous gain of humanly essentials.

Worst of all, he was developing a motor nerve…


Howler's Peak

Name any negative emotion. Gloomy, depressed, despondent, hopeless, furious, irate, blue. Whatever you name, Keeth felt it- all rolled up in a tight knot in his heart.

He had plenty of things to be upset about, enough to make a list. First of all, the fact that he was caught in the first place. Second of all, Spiro was caught also. Thirdly, Spiro had been near him and he couldn't tell him one important fact; Artemis Fowl has returned. He tried to send it in Morse code, but he seriously doubted that Spiro could understand. Even Keeth himself was uncertain about all the signals regarding the letters of the alphabet, as Spiro had called it. Last but not least, he had no idea where Spiro was now, if he was even alive at all, but he could never find out now because he was incarcerated in goblins' hell: Howler's Peak.

Let's look on the bright side, Keeth thought hopefully. Let's see…Opal's left. Yes! The last of the team we've assembled! Now she is left all alone…probably to shop.

"Well," Keeth thought aloud. "At least I'm alive."

'Of course you're alive,' a voice in his head echoed. 'You're alive in hell.'

"Shut up," Keeth said aloud once more. Then he slapped his own face for doing so. For Frond's sake, he was talking to his conscience. It must be mental disorder; the first sign of autism, perhaps.

Keeth had always been considered pessimistic. He didn't deny it, rather he was quite proud of it. Now he realized that a pessimistic attitude was a serious liability to himself. Thus he felt ashamed.

Get a grip, Keeth Gates, he thought firmly. The Keeth I know doesn't give up even in the harshest situations. There must be a way out.

The space between bars of the cell were too narrow, the windows too high to climb up. There weren't any roommates to find solace in, thus he could not request assistance. The walls were newly replastered without so much as a crevice. Howler's Peak must have been renovated to be escape-free in his absence. As he mused, he found himself plunging deeper into despair.

As several minutes passed, Keeth was starting to get angry with himself. Artemis Fowl would never take this long to contrive a plan, he thought, and he was right. It didn't take Artemis 5 minutes to make a temporary cryogenics pod for Butler.

Let's think in Fowl's way, Keeth thought. Fowl's purpose for everything was money. Everything. His greed was implacable, yet controllable. He used his greed well, and as a result, prospered. What would he do? What would Artemis Fowl the Second do if he were to be in my shoes?
Money. That was it. He would use money.

Thoughts flashed back to his billion dollars in his human bank account, hidden safely. Before he knew it, he had reached out to grab the sleeve of a snoozing guard; his nametag said John. "Psst, John."

The guard whose name was John didn't budge, so Keeth reached out more further to grab his arm. He flinched, and woke up with a disgusted look on his face. "What d'ya want?" He demanded. His outlandish accent made him sound like a western cowboy in a Mud Man Movie.

Keeth knew that he did not have much time to explain. Also, dull fairies like this sentry didn't need an explanation for anything. He decided to cut to the chase. "Um, I got a billion dollars. I offer you half. 500 million. Want it?"

John's jaw dropped. "Are ya crazy?!"

Keeth smiled. "I'll take that as a no?"

"Are ya nuts? Of cours' I wan' it! But ya can't jus' gimme 500 billion dollars our o' nowhere, ya know."

"Sure I can," Keeth was fully convinced that this man was dumb. "It's a deal, dude. You free me, I give you money, and we flee together. Since your boss will be ready to fry your backside when there's a reprobate goblin missing."

John nodded. He didn't want to talk about the consequences when he had lost a convict.

"Man, it will be the life. You could prowl incognito anywhere. The beach, the mall, to work, you name it. I'll give you time to decide, sure. Take your time."

John had made up his mind before anyone could say "emancipation." Keeth was free.


Did you like my story so far? Be prepared, because it has barely begun. The real fun will begin soon:)