Well, I'm updating!!!!! (You can all fall down in shock now)

Seriously though, I update faster with every review. I feel like I owe it to the readers like me sneaking onto the computer at three in the morning to see if the fic they like really was updated!!!!!! Thanks sooo much to all who reviewed, I know this isn't a very popular category on my muse has an evil sense of humor!!!!

Cyberspace: You will? Great! I hope you like it!!!!!

RaevenDawn: Yeah, and it's ARTY/MORTYX romance!!!!! Another hyper person!!!!!!

A werewolf? My friend, that idea was used up a long time ago. Too tame for my taste, although I see your line of reasoning. Nope, I just like wolves, and it's how I imagined her eyes to somewhat look like. One thing about my characters is they usually have strangely-colored eyes. Gold, violet, bloodred, etc. As for what she is? You'll just have to wait and see.......

Chapter 1 An Encounter of the Shady Kind

"I don't see anybody, Artemis."

Artemis Fowl frowned. His associate was supposed to have been here by now, and the impatience in Butler's voice was quite akin to his own. Though he'd never admit it, of course. The two were in a place not quite so far from the Manor yet far enough for it to be not quite on their home turf, so to speak. The irish boy sighed testily, looking around again at the scenery. This was not the fine grounds of Fowl Manor, nor was it even the quiet peacefulness of El Lobo Gruñido, Artemis's preferred eatery in town. In Las Noches the strangely dark black paint that coated the walls was chipped in several places and spiderwebs lay in the corners. The molding, however, seemed to be made of pure gold and several large paintings decorated the walls. Candles cast a flickering orange light throughout the room as well as a fire that roared in a brick fireplace near the front of the restaurant. The floor was made of polished black marble, and a strange indigo glow seemed to illuminate the very shadows(of which there were many)yet for the life of Artemis he could not locate its source. The shop was elegant and sophisticated yet as dark as the night itself.

That's why I chose it, after all. It's quite like my own persona.

Artemis's head snapped to the side. "What?" Butler's hand slid reflexively towards a concealed taser in his "wallet". Seeing as there was no danger in sight, or any other living being in fact, the manservant looked at Artemis with confusion. "Are you okay, Artemis?" The dark-haired boy continued looking back over his shoulder, searching the restaurant with ice-blue eyes. "I am perfectly fine. I just thought I detected a voice in here." The bodyguard nodded, but his charge did not turn back around. He seemed....edgy. "Should I take a look, sir?"

Artemis shook his head. "No. I was merely mistaken." He turned back, despite the feeling of a calculating gaze on his back. A predatory gaze.

Artemis pushed it away and instead checked the rather expensive watch strapped to his forearm. Italian design, in fact. "My associate should have been here by now." Butler hesitated, then voiced the uneasiness that had been plaguing the pair since they walked in. "Why would they want to meet in here?" He glanced around. "It's a bit.....shady.....if you'll forgive the pun."

"Shady, but secluded."

A soft voice spoke from their right, and even Artemis jumped though he'd been expecting something along the lines of the surprise. To his surprise a girl his own age was leaning against the wall, arms folded as she watched from the shadows. At least.....she probably was his age. It seemed impossible to tell- golden eyes as malicious and ancient as a shade's calmly staring back from the body of a teenage girl, albeit a rather gracefully formed one to say the least. Artemis's own eyes widened slightly in surprise as she stepped forward and sat down in the third chair, as lithe and balanced as a black jaguar with eyes to match. "My apologies for my rather distasteful tardiness." Her lip curled slightly in displeasure. "I had to eliminate several....uninvited companions." Artemis recovered, ignoring the slightest hint of a smirk on his bodyguard's face. "Companions here for me, or for you?"

The girl smirked, eyes glinting with cool amusement.

"Here for me, but they would have undoubtably enjoyed slaying you for target practice. Teenage fledglings are not an extreme challenge for such opponents."

Artemis looked at her with some annoyance now. "Making you a....?"

The mysterious girl smiled a smile far colder than any of Butler's fang-baring grins.

"I will divulge that if I choose to."

Butler's demeanor grew considerably colder as he was reminded that none of his charge's contacts were confirmed to be absolutely safe. Teenage girl or not, underestimating such an obviously cunning mind was a gaping weakness, one as unneeded as the one that he was dubious of Artemis developing. Teenagers were teenagers after all, but mercenaries were still armed to the teeth and deadly to disregard as threats.

They would not the Spiro and Blunt of this vixen's enterprise.

Artemis, on the other hand, felt strangely pleased at the soft-spoken girl's ruthless intelligence. He'd never met someone his own age whom he'd ever come close to respecting, but there were firsts for everything. "I suppose you're here for a reason." He said cooly, not letting the slightest hint of a smile or any sign of emotion cross his face. The golden-eyed teenager brushed a strand of glossy raven hair from her face. "I wouldn't be wasting my time here if I didn't. Safety is an illusion that only lasts for so long."

Artemis nodded. "How much are you willing to give and what do you want?" Seeing the calculating hunger in her eyes he added hastily to his words. "You never gave a definite sum of currency, so I will need to know in order to determine how much you will get for it." As an afterthought he added "It would also be somewhat better for business if you told me your name."

Butler looked at Artemis in shock. First rule of trade- don't trade until you know the other person's name and you have some idea of their hand. What, was Artemis going mad?

The dark girl nodded, accepting the necessity. "Simply call me Mortyx."

Artemis didn't like the hair's breadth of hesitation before she stated her name. Hesitating before speaking a name usually means reluctance or falsity. "And your last name?" He pressed.

Mortyx surveyed him with calm golden eyes. "In all truth I have never had a last name, but seeing as dealing with those who expect one is in my requirements I simply go by Mortyx Kansei Asesino. Interpret it as you will. As for my offers, I can give plenty. Enough to at the very least give the Fowel family the status of richest Irish family for several centuries."

Artemis mused over the name. Killing Death Perfection. It certainly was a fitting mantra. Mortyx seemed the very image of the name- unearthly golden eyes, as elegant and seductive as the night itself. Glossy hair the color of ravens' wings that came down to about her shoulders, sleek with the slightest wave in it, sharpy contrasting flawless ivory skin and high cheekbones that cast a regal look to the girl. Her form was not the unrealistic anorexia of a supermodel but instead was slender and lithe, curved almost entrancingly but yet powerful and fitting to her graceful aura. She wore all black but it was not the grubby look of junior high goths. A black tank top with an expensive-looking black leather jacket and silken black pants that somehow seemed to be a second skin, accompanied by no ornaments but a golden chain bracelet on Mortyx's right wrist. Artemis suddenly felt out of place in the ethereal darkness of Las Noches. Mortyx belonged here, in the night. He didn't, as with Butler. The boy finally found his voice, ignoring a questioning look from the manservant whose fingertips were clearly reaching for his weapon.

"So you say. And what do you want for this immeasurable sum of wealth?"

Mortyx leaned closer, though not as close as Artemis would have liked despite his rationality. Her golden eyes glinted mysteriously as she softly replied, voice nearly a whisper.

"I know you have it, so don't bother denying what is already known.

"I want that Book you stole from the faeries."

Cliffie!!!!!!!! Whew.....I think I'll stop here while I can. Yeah, you can throw rotten veggies at me now for this. Yes, Mortyx's name is real though in a few different languages. Mortyx from the latin root mort, meaning death. Kansei, japanese meaning perfection, and Asesino which means "killer" to be literal. The names of the restaurants are in Spanish, which I can actually use without an online translation site!!!!! Amazing, huh? And RaevenDawn, I promise you all will be revealed next chapter! Well.....most. I confess that even I don't know some of this. Yeah, reassuring, huh? Even the author isn't sure of what it'll turn out to be like. I have a small question for everyone. Should I bring in Holly and everyone? I wasn't planning to, but she is my favorite character.........

-Okay, I need your opinions. Should Mortyx be on Artemis's side, or against him? I have two separate possible plotlines I could use. And RaevenDawn, my sincere apologies, I was wrong on one of the answers I gave you. Artemis has or hasn't beaten the mind-wipe, dpending on which plotline I choose. If Mortyx is on his side it's like I said before where it's not at the point of that book yet, but but if she isn't he got his memory back. Review and tell me which you'd like! (grins) Either way there will be romance, no fear. In addition, is Mortyx getting mary sue-ish? I'm not entirely positive what a mary sue is, but I know that they're completely perfect and invincible. Mortyx isn't, but she isn't humanafter alland maybe I'm making her seem a little too human. Tell me what you think!!!!!

R&R!!!!

-RenegadeMustang