Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except the plot, thanks!
Thank you: To titanfan I'm sorry your computer is having trouble! Trouble Kelp You're not an idiot! And you are wrong about not being good with words either, your stories are good! (My favourite is Holly Short: The Suburbs of Haven, I like the part where they start the running fit) Thanks! Wing Pikepaw Thanks so much for your continued comments! And what Julius is planning? Well, you're going to find out! Thank you! maddisonavenue I forgot to say that I don't know when/if a new Artemis Fowl book is coming out, but I hope there will be one! Also BIG BIG thank you to my friend Jessica who helped me think of bit at the end! Also thanks to harryzgurl, Rachel, your story is ace!
Recap: "Ok, as soon as he's finished come straight back down," said Trouble Kelp, from back in the Ops booth.
"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," Holly replied mysteriously.
Nearly the end: This is the second last chapter, thank you so much to the people who have reviewed so far. Especially Wing Pikepaw, Trouble Kelp, and maddisonavenue. I'm working on a sequel right now, and all I know is that it's going to involve elephants, cursed trousers, and a wise man in Africa! (Hey don't blame me, I just wrote a bunch of stuff and then rolled a dice to see what I got!) Please review and make me very very happy:P
Four minute later Commander Root reappeared, his eyes flashed and his skin glowed healthily with blue sparks. In his hands he carried two bags stuffed full of:
"A fairy costume?" Said Holly incredulously.
"It was the only one they had it's Halloween!" The commander replied. Holly didn't know what Halloween was and didn't bother to find out, she rummaged in the bag and found some black hair dye, a black and purple tutu, black pumps, and some elbow length black leather gloves.
"What've you got?" Holly asked. The commander turned a nasty shade of puce and snatched an Incredible Hulk suit form it's bag.
"Hehe." Cackled Holly cheekily. She retired to the craft's tiny toilet to change; when she came out the commander did a mental double take –this Holly was barely recognizable- She had long black hair and a human gun.
"How'd you get them?" The commander asked suspiciously, he did have an idea but it was definitely not legal.
"I may not know what Halloween is, but I sure get into the spirit of things," his captain replied. Julius gave up and whispered the next stage of the plan in her ear.
As the sun set behind the grape vine covered hills a pumpkin light flickered on the front steps of the rambling white washed farmhouse. From behind a particularly large rose bush Holly and Julius could see the smarmy face of Opal Koboi peeping out from the dirty window of an attic room. They looked left and right, but after deciding the coast was clear they walked cheerfully up the muddy drive. Holly rang the bell and human footsteps could be heard coming to the door. Holly shivered -it was cold for October in Italy-
"Hello?" Said the tanned Italian woman who had answered the door. "Trick or treat?" The duo cried in perfect childish Italian. This lady did not look friendly, in fact she was positively glowering at them –maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all-
"What are your names?" She replied suspiciously. "I haven't seen you around here before."
"Um, I'm Clarissa, and," Holly reached out and took Julius' hand. "This is my older brother Massimo.
"Oh." Returned the lady, they had passed her inspection after all. "Your jokes?"
"Where do ghosts go on holiday?" Asked Root with a glance at Holly, who was looking bewildered. Dressing up as a fairy was all very well, but noone had said she'd have to tell a joke!
"I don't know, where do ghosts go on holiday?"
"Mali-boo!" Said Root. The lady didn't laugh.
"How about you Clarissa?" She asked.
"Why did the chicken cross the playground?" Holly questioned, conjuring up a joke Trouble had told her when they were back in school. "To get to the other slide!" The woman laughed with fake amusement.
"Do you have any children?" Holly said innocently.
"Um, yes……I have one daughter Belinda, but recently, well I'll go and get your sweets." The lady went off with a sad expression.
"Recently she's been wanting to throw 'Belinda' out the window!" Chuckled Holly to herself. Suddenly the lady came back.
"When I get my hands on her! Oh that awful Belinda! -She's hidden the sweets!" The lady exclaimed and then shivered. "Oh it's so cold tonight, come step inside the house whilst I find your goodies." Holly smiled at the commander –they were in!
They stepped into the hallway and as soon as the woman's back was turned Root whispered
"Divide and conquer," from behind his hideous green mask and they split up.
Back underground Foaly was running some tests.
"All I know is that they are above ground and wearing fancy dress." He said to Trouble. Of course, Foaly knew the exact location and co-ordinates of where Holly and Root were –but he wasn't going to tell Trouble- because Foaly also had an idea of why there were going there; it involved Opal Koboi and revenge. Foaly liked the word revenge, and most especially when 'on Opal Koboi' was in the same sentence.
"In fancy dress? Are you crazy?" Replied Trouble, startled.
"See for yourself," smiled Foaly, bringing up a picture of Holly and Julius on screen.
"HAHA!" Guffawed Trouble loudly." Make me a copy!"
"OK," Foaly said, as if he hadn't already sent the picture to everyone in the office.
"CENTAUR!" Bellowed Sool, from halfway down the corridor. "What's this about these officers wasting valuable time and gold dressing in fancy dress?"
Oops. At least he didn't know who the officers were.
"OK," said Holly to herself. "Koboi is in the attic therefore I need some stairs –aha! The elf flew up the stairs –not literally- and looked around. "Nope not here!" Finally Holly reached the top of the house and saw a door at the end of the corridor. "Bingo!" The captain listened with a pointy ear against the old wooden door and heard a munching sound. "So that's where all those sweets got to," Holly thought; with one fluid movement she brought up her gun and blasted the door to smithereens.
"Hello Opal." She said as she walked in. In the corner sat Opal Koboi, her face was dirty, her hair was matted, but she still looked defiantly at Holly with her cold eyes. As she stood up Holly noticed that already Koboi was a few centimetres taller than her.
"Bog off." Koboi said, raising her arms to whack the elf.
"Don't," warned Holly. "Make me shoot you."
"Ha," said the fairy turned human. "You wish." Holly narrowed her eyes. "Oh, what's the matter, elf?" Returned Opal. "Hit a nerve? I remember a time –not so long ago- when you thought that you could hit a target. That ponce, Commander Root. But no! You missed. Ha ha ha," she smirked.
A spark went off in Holly's brain. She pulled the trigger, bang! Went the gun –well it would have, had there been any bullets left-
"D'ARVIT! Shrieked Holly. "AHH….mmmmph mphh." She tried to scream but couldn't as she felt Opal's hand clamp over her mouth; Holly tried to fight the human but to no avail. I mean, come on, it's like an insect trying to fight a giraffe –it just doesn't happen, the insect is never going to win!- Opal was a few centimetres taller, and her new humanness made her much stronger. Plus there was the added bonus that Opal wasn't wearing stupid ballet pumps two sizes too small. Within minutes Holly was tied up in a corner with a gag over her mouth. The gun lay useless on the floor.