Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Artemis Fowl Series, be it characters or plot, I do not own it, so please do not sue me. ;;

Review Replies:

aperfectattitude: Thank you again! I hope this is soon enough. And well, Holly does something for him.

me, obviously: Tehe. :-)

Sgarecool1321: Wow, thank you for the numerous enthusiastic reviews. And that is a good question; what would the world be like without Artemis Fowl II? All I can say is it would be a very sad world indeed.

refloc: Actually, radiation sickness is the actual term used, although it also goes by radiation poisoning. It's actually quite hard to describe it, as I admit I've only recently learned about it to some extent, even though I have been researching nuclear weapons for a very long time. Anyway, thank you!

Chapter Seven

The Complications of the Cure

Berlin, Germany

Holly sprinted forwards, away from the other fairies as fast as she could. She went from a dead run and dropped to her knees beside the crumpled form of Artemis. She rolled him onto his back and tore open his shirt, jacket and coat all in one movement.

"Short! What in Frond's-!" Trouble barely had the time to yell before Holly placed her hands on the sick human's chest and murmured:

"Heal," now, the reason why Trouble was so upset, was because healing any creature from this level of radiation sickness took every last drop of magic, and that meant, no shield. The assistant stumbled backwards with an alarmed cry as Holly seemed to just appear in front of him, with thousands of tiny blue sparks coming from her hands and disappearing into Artemis' body. Trouble hurriedly stunned the assistant before he could voice anything intelligible. He then turned to Holly.

"Just what do you think you're doing! Leaping out in front of a human unshielded!" but his lecture died in his throat as he watched Holly pour an immense current of magic into Artemis. Her large, almond shaped eyes were squeezed tightly shut and her small hands pressed down upon Artemis as his body began to seize. "Somebody give me some cam-foil!" Trouble yelled as the helicopter crew spotted them. The fairies fumbled through their packs but Trouble cursed as the trio of Mud Men jumped out of the helicopter and rushed towards the group of fairies. "Use your sleepers, boys," Trouble ordered a bit more calmly than before as he raised his own stun Neutrino. A few well-aimed shots from the fairies and the three humans were sleeping before they hit the ground. Trouble turned back to Holly and watched with bated interest. They had been sent to kill him for threatening the People once again, but not all had been known and taken into account when that order was made. Holly knew this Mud Man better than anyone else, and she was a good officer. If she really thought that he would endanger the People, then she would have let him die, Trouble was sure of that.

Strange words began to pour out of Artemis' mouth, there were many from several different languages and Trouble found his ears perk as he heard a few words spout from Artemis' mouth recognizable as Fairy Language. The unhealthy pallor from his complexion began to ebb away, and the dark shadows around his eyes disappeared entirely as he relaxed underneath Holly's fingers. The last of the dancing blue sparks danced before submerging within Artemis' chest and Holly leaned back. She was lightheaded and out of breath as she steadied herself with her hands on the ground. She looked up to see Trouble looming over her. Her eyebrows furrowed and her teeth clenched in anticipation.

"I wasn't going to let him die like that," she stated quietly.

"Obviously," Trouble sighed. He looked over in the direction of the humans. "We need to get these guys mind-wiped ASAP," he turned to the team of fairies. "You know what to do, take them down and have 'em wiped," he ordered and other fairies quickly scurried to their tasks; soon, there was no one but Trouble, Holly and an unconscious Artemis on the roof of the Reichstag.

"So what now Captain? We let him go?" Trouble kicked at the ground angrily, "We can't just disobey a direct order from the Tribunal; it would have been a lot easier if you had just let him die, that way, we won't give him false hope," Trouble stared at her and she defiantly stared back.

"He's not going to die," she stated firmly and Trouble shook his head exasperatedly.

"Captain Short - Holly, listen, now what's he going to do? We can take him down to Haven and he'll be tried and they'll have him executed all the same," Trouble knelt down opposite of her. "He's too dangerous."

"He's not dangerous!" Holly squealed and then realized the stupidity of the statement. "Well, I mean, he's not dangerous to us," she specified. "We've got Foaly, and Artemis wouldn't really do anything to harm us," she added.

"Don't tell me Holly; I won't be the one giving the sentence," Trouble got up and dusted off his knees. "I'll bring him down, you've spent enough energy," Trouble said quietly and fastened Artemis to his belt before Holly could object. He activated his wings and took off, with Holly following close behind, half under a sheet of cam-foil.

As the fairies disappeared into the distance, a very tired medic reached the roof. He spun around a few times, and walked to and fro about the roof, still huffing and puffing, searching for his comrades. He turned to the helicopter and was even more perplexed to see the crew absent. He suspiciously glanced around as he made his way to the helicopter. Its computers were still on, perhaps the onboard surveillance camera would clear a few things up…

Solitary Confinement Cell, LEPrecon Headquarters: Haven

Never before had Artemis felt so much. He was overwhelmed by both emotional and physical pain as he awoke. He sat up stiffly to find his hands cuffed and that he was sitting on a rather small and hard cot. Of course, he could not see any of this as it was pitch black, but he could feel the restraints. He tilted his head back and looked up; nothing there either. He could not place where he was. The last thing he remembered was… talking to Holly. What had they been talking about? Was it their ventures against Jon Spiro? No, that was not it… Was it about the People? No, not really, Artemis remembered, it was about his people. His eyes widened and he went to stand up. However, his head met the ceiling with a loud bang and Artemis quickly sat back down, holding his head in his cuffed hands.

He let the ringing in his ears subside as he thought. Yes, he remembered now, all too clearly. He had been dieing. He had closed his eyes, expecting never again to open them. Perhaps he was dead. Perhaps this was Hell: a dark cell with manacles and a far too low ceiling. However, even Artemis could not bring himself to believe that. He brought his hands down from his head, feeling his face. It was smoother now, and the skin was not half so tight; his eyes were no longer sunken and tender. He then realized his shirt and jacket were both torn. He was alive, he realized; a living breathing human still.

There were only two possible explanations for it. One was very unlikely: that he had fallen unconscious and the fairies, suddenly having a turn of heart, had taken him down to Haven and Foaly had used some miraculous cure. Then there was the other, the one Artemis believed: that he had indeed fallen unconscious in his death throes and Holly had saved him with her Fairy magic. Artemis smiled into the darkness as he thought of it. She had saved him again, she had seen through his cold exterior in which he fooled the other fairies, but he had never fooled her. His thoughts were rudely interrupted however, by the sudden opening of a previously unknown door to his left. He instinctively withdrew from the harsh light and squinted at the doorway from behind his spidery hands. A male LEP officer, of what rank Artemis could not decipher for he was still partially blinded, escorted by two others stood in the doorway.

"You are awake then. Come on, you are to attend your sentencing soon," the officer stated and the other two moved Artemis out into the empty hallway. Artemis blinked furiously, not fully aware for a moment. However, that was only a moment. He quickly set his feet stably on the ground and did not budge when the fairies attempted to move him down the hallway.

"I'm sorry, I think I misunderstood you. I thought you said something about a sentencing," he glanced over his shoulder at the officer. The other two, who Artemis assumed were guards, stood at Artemis' sides, well, really waist, attempting to look intimidating. Unfortunately for them, the object of their intimidation was several times their size and cunning, and he knew it too. The officer however, was unfazed.

"You heard me correctly. I am afraid that as soon as you arrived in Haven the Tribunal began deliberation."

"And I get no say? I am not given the chance to defend myself?" Artemis retorted.

"Listen, I don't make the rules. I'm sorry, okay? Besides, both Captain Short and Foaly took the stand for you," Artemis could not help but have the feeling he had heard this specific officer before.

"They did?" Artemis asked.

"Yes, now are you going to walk or will I have to get out my buzz-baton?"

"I can walk," Artemis admitted and began to walk forwards, but he did not get very far before he heard a shrill beeping. He halted in mid-step and glanced over his shoulder to see the officer snap out a communicator. After a few hushed words, the officer snapped the communicator closed.

"Change of plans: we're going to go see Foaly," the officer said hurriedly and motioned to the two guards. "Follow me," he brushed past the Artemis and the two guards then proceeded down the hallway. Artemis followed after a brief poke from one of the fairies. He had to duck through the several doorways and passages they went through but soon enough they came to a rather individual door, one with no visible latch and a camera above it.

"Foaly, I've brought the Mud Man; you called?" the officer looked up at the camera which focused on him and then Artemis for just a second before the door slid open. The officer stepped aside as Artemis was ushered inside. He withheld a smile as he recognized Foaly and Holly, however, any warmth he might have felt, had he not beat it into submission immediately, would have disappeared at the looks on their faces. Both had ashen faces of dread. As Artemis was directed to stand to one side of the room the officer entered and Foaly closed the door. "What's going on, Foaly?" the officer demanded and Foaly turned his rather distracted gaze from Artemis.

"Oh, Trouble, the sentencing has been delayed," Foaly explained.

"What? Why? What've you two done?" Trouble crossed his arms and Holly paled, looking to the floor. Foaly shook his head anxiously.

"We didn't do - I mean, we didn't mean - " Foaly stomped his front hooves. "Oh just look at the screens!" he exclaimed and hit a button. Immediately the screens were lit up with the broadcasts of several human news stations, and the main subject of attention was the apparent kidnapping of the Master of Science, Artemis Fowl II. Artemis reigned in a feeling of relief. The humans knew he was gone; the fairies could not touch him. However, this relief was short lived as Foaly selected a specific channel and put in on all of the monitors. Artemis froze.

A grainy video began to play what Artemis recognized to be the roof of the Reichstag. Soon enough he saw his assistant and himself on the roof, while he was talking to what appeared to be thin air. Then the assistant ran towards the camera, the helicopter and obscured the view for a moment as he reached for his phone and made a call. The assistant ran back and handed the phone to the on-screen Artemis. After a few moments and some unintelligible speech Artemis handed the phone back to the assistant who promptly danced in celebration back to the helicopter, yelling excited to the crew on board. The assistant once again obscured the view of the camera as he spoke with the helicopter crew. Then, as a unit the crew and assistant turned back in Artemis' direction and after a short pause the assistant ran towards Artemis. Once the assistant was out of the way, Artemis was visible hunched over on the ground. The assistant reached him and attempted to rouse him. Then the video showed something horrible.

Holly appeared at Artemis' side with blue sparks pouring from her palms. Of course, she was in full uniform, including her helmet so it was difficult to tell what she was. The assistant was knocked aside by an invisible punch. The video went on to show the stun rays seemingly originate from thin air as the rest of the crew approached. The video stopped shortly after Artemis disappeared underneath the cam-foil.

No one in the room moved or spoke. The only noise was that of the reporter onscreen. She pointed to the screen behind her, which showed a freeze frame of the video, revealing the whole Fairy team. The press had dubbed the Fairies 'the tiny assassins', and provided several explanations for the fairy technology, such as the blue sparks emitted from Holly's palms being electricity with which 'the tiny assassins' subdued Artemis in order to capture him. The reporter went on to consider the possibility that 'the tiny assassins' were a third group in the new World War, and perhaps, were not even human at all.

"We were caught on video…" the officer, namely, Trouble, murmured unbelievingly.

"You bet. And this is being broadcast all over the world. This is no longer a case of mind-wiping a few Mud Men. This is most of the population," Foaly stated gravely. "We've been discovered and what's worse is now the Mud Men are angry at us for 'kidnapping' Artemis. They even had one the Protectorate's second in command make a speech telling us to return him 'or else', which I have to say was pretty funny because he didn't know what to call us," Foaly tapped a hoof on the floor. "Anyways, now the Tribunal and the Council and Internal Affairs are all meeting to try and figure out what to do," Foaly finished and crossed his hairy arms over his chest while his tin foil hat slumped to the side. Holly was staring at the ground guiltily and Artemis could not help but feel responsible, for he, in most respects, was. He had been a threat to the People for several years, even after helping the fairies several times he had never quite been forgiven, and he accepted that. Then, when he held power over the most powerful alliance of Mud Men known to Earth, he threatened to reveal the secret of the fairies in order to manipulate them. Now, even though he had gotten what he needed from the fairies, he still revealed them, even if it was unwittingly.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, staring at the screens. All three fairies directed their attention to him.

"What? Did I just hear - " Foaly quipped in a tone of amazement and Artemis turned his own gaze to him.

"I said I'm sorry," he looked at Holly then, "I never meant to be this much trouble," he folded his hands together, while still in cuffs. "I never meant to really reveal you," his words resonated through the room and no one knew what to say, even Trouble did not doubt him any longer, unfortunately, they were probably most of the fairies that did. The silence was interrupted by a small flashing icon on one of Foaly's monitors. He swiveled around and brought up the window to reveal an aged fairy that looked as if he had just finished eating a lemon.

"Any more news from the Mud Men?" the fairy asked.

"Just a few more threats pretty much saying if we don't give Fowl back we'll be sorry," Foaly replied and the fairy chewed on something.

"We're already sorry we even know him," the fairy spat and Artemis resisted the urge to shrink back into the corner; the fairy had not seen him and Artemis wished that to continue.

"But they have announced something else," Foaly added, raising his head a bit, attempting to get the fairy's attention again.

"Yes, what is it?"

"They know we're either underground or underwater," Foaly reported, his face suddenly even more serious.

"What? Well, they can't reach us, can they?" the fairy delegate leaned forward nervously and Foaly shrugged.

"They haven't been able to yet, and I can deflect most attempts into volcanic shafts and whatnot, but if all the members of the Protectorate suddenly start sending probes in this direction…" Foaly trailed off. The fairy on the screen leaned back and seemed to mull things over.

"We can't just give him back, can we?"

"Um, that might help the whole 'we're really angry, give him back' situation, but I don't think it would solve the whole problem of them knowing about us," Foaly glanced back at Artemis. "Plus, they'd probably interrogate him."

"Can we mind-wipe him and then send him back?" the fairy proposed and Foaly glanced back again to see Artemis had paled considerably and was staring at him with wide eyes.

"I don't think that would be a good idea. Remember what happened last time? No, mind-wiping is not a good idea with this Mud Man," Foaly stated. Holly gave a brief smile as she saw Artemis relax quite visibly.

"Alright Foaly, I'm going to put this quite simply. All branches of the government have been debating what to do. What do you think? Should we give go ahead with our original plan and enforce the capital punishment, or give him back? Which do you think would make dealing with the Mud Men easier?" the fairy politician asked in all seriousness and Foaly had to laugh at the sheer stupidity of the statement, and the fact that the politician was asking Foaly.

"I think, that if we were to kill Artemis Fowl II, the Master of Science of the Protectorate… we would have a whole bunch of really pissed countries of Mud Men just waiting to blast the living daylights out of us," Foaly finally replied in earnest. The fairy politician kneaded his hands for a while before replying.

"Alright Foaly, open up a line to the Mud Man in charge of the Protectorate," the politician sighed. "We're going to begin negotiations with the Mud People."

Author's Note: Okay, maybe not as close to the end as I thought, but hey! I'm getting there!