Howler's Peak
Blustering winds howled around the fairy made mountain giving Grub Kelp the chills he didn't need nor appreciate. Holly Short always the feisty one kept her Neutrino 2000 v3 in hand. Her holster carrying another weapon as a precaution. Foaly, the egocentric, had discovered that an elf had ran up Howler's Peak carrying the last specimen a Recon officer could snatch before he nearly shrivelled to death. Poor, brave, stupid elf.
Cackles and screams joined the fury of the fairy made winds. Whoever gave the Council the idea that blustering winds will scare the convicts in the prison was surely an idiot. It will only slow down any Recon officer chasing a runaway or even a thief who had in his hands the most dangerous weapon against fairies. If nanobots weren't enough surely they did not need another villain.
Alas her prayer was not answered, Grift was already holding the nanobots, in a special case of course. Unfortunately at the rate they were multiplying one could not contain the millions in even ten thousand containers, it would not only waste time but money that that rate. Grift tried his maniacal laugh as he had seen on monitors. Being the untrained villain, his laugh ended up with a fit of chokes and coughs. What was he doing in Howler's Peak again? Ah, yes. Escaping those two ignorant officers. What he was going to do was going to transform the world. Who needed democracy when one could have monarchy. He was going to rule the world one day. Ambitious but absolutely possible. The amount of nanobots in his case was not enough to kill, unfortunately. He was most definitely not going to feed his magic to these hi-tech monsters just so that they can multiply.
"Grift Grackersham, you are hereby under arrest." The elf simply chuckled at the thought, it was impossible for the officers to capture him at this point. It will be simply wonderful to be held up at that point though. He grinned at the thought of his escape. He could release several of the nanobots and presto the pesky officers might die or even turn into mud men. His thin hands rubbed gleefully together as he arranged plans for something that hasn't even happened.
"Who are you? What are you doing at Howler's Peak?" a female voice said from behind Grift.
Grift scowled. Wasn't his name in the LEP files. Sure it was only a speeding ticket but it was there nonetheless. Don't they make their officers study the files and memorise every criminal? Grift turned to face the speaker. He was very sure that, the female voice belonged to Captain Holly Short the only female captain on the entire squad, why else will a female be on the loose in Howler's Peak especially a pretty female. Plus, who wouldn't recognise the redheaded female who lost the Council half a ton of gold?
"Grift Grackersham, madam. Best of the best, worst of the worst. I suppose you've heard of me."
"Uh, no." Holly shook her head, her auburn hair being blown by the wind. The oh so courageous Grub hid behind her as more screeches of glee and possible terror filled the air.
Grift cracked. He uncapped the small bottle unleashing the small menace. It was easily retrievable at the rate it reproduced although he just remembered something, he didn't have the equipment. "Damn it," he thought, clenching his teeth.
The fairies didn't fall. The nanobots were off to find something bigger, the large energy source in the cells, despite the fact that several convicts had already drained their magic, was delectable. The power was delectable and the nanobots, being rather human like, were filled with greed and intended to find a way to harness this power. Small they were but them being a genius, was undoubtedly so. They were safe, much to Foaly's relief.
His new suit which was not introduced to the Council, yet, was protecting Holly and Grub in the first place, so it wouldn't have happened and the suit was connected to the helmet which allowed Foaly to view their every condition through his hand held. It was easy to use the millions of government money, produce many large, expensive and hi-tech items without even introducing or distributing the product to the other officers. Then again, he thought some officers didn't even deserve the suit. One of the best was already a major, simply directing rookies, corporals, privates and captains on missions without breathing the aboveground air, those lucky humans. The suits were bigger than iris cams, rather, except they were detectable, though rather like chameleons able to camouflage.
Grift turned heel and ran. Who wouldn't especially if he knew that someone could identify him before he reached his dreams of becoming bigger than Mulch Diggums, who was caught and escaped. Oh, to be trusted by the great Artemis Fowl. Now that was a dream come true. Unfortunately for the elf, he was so outdated that he seemed like he was living under a rock not to know that Artemis turned good, kinda.
Trouble Kelp was supposed to follow the two but somehow they ditched him when he decided to apprehend a smuggler anyway. It was only a smuggler what not? They were here to look for something bigger. Reports of a whacko elf, which they have already found, were flying among the selected captains, majors and commanders. So, they drew straws to see who would go. Holly and Grub were meant to go, being the unluckiest but Trouble refused to expose his little brother to danger, and for another reason called Holly Short. The convicts were not evacuated despite the slew of fairies demanding to have their 'babies' or whatever removed. They were not easily disappointed hence the discovery of a dead, lifeless, cold body on the roof, caught by the nanobots before he could swing down with a sign saying, "Evacuate all convicts." It was no that the LEP was heartless it was the fact that if the nanobots were to ever be removed, collecting all the convicts again, especially does called Opal Koboi, will be hard even if micro bead tracking devices are inserted.
Back to the climax, Holly raised an eyebrow and did the simplest thing any officer will do. Fling a tracking device on him just in case the attack fails and shoot a blast from the Neutrino 2020, beta of course. Completely missing due to the fact that Foaly made it too light, Holly pulled the trembling elf to his feet, naturally Grub, and shot again, only to watch this elf called Grift Grackersham run to his doom. She never knew he could have an ally, an ally who was partly responsible for this menace unleashed.
I don't want to make this story post-Opal Deception. I like the story and all but did Eoin HAVE to kill Root and make Holly quit the LEP? One of my friends might do it but I highly doubt that I will ever change my story. It was too much work and I don't want Root to die!