Holly looked at the scene in front of her. Artemis stood, syringe in hand, staring back at her with the widest, guiltiest eyes that she had ever seen. Seriously, she could have flown a shuttle through those whites. Nopal was draped over his elbow with her neck bared and eyes closed. The scene very much reminded her of the mud-man myth of vampires, complete with paleness and the clear intent to stab sharp objects into somebody's neck.

At this point, people who knew Holly less well would have expected her to explode and tackle Artemis to the ground like a one-elf tempest of righteousness and indignation. Granted, if this were the Artemis of just four years ago, she might've. Now? There was anger, yes, but mostly exasperation. She had dealt with Artemis' shenanigans so much now that the very idea that Artemis was going to do something like plunge a needle into some probably innocent pixie's throat like some half-rate hitman didn't make her angry at all.

Okay fine, she was a little angry.

"Arty," she said, her tone making it clear that if she didn't receive an explanation then somebody was going to get socked, "what are you doing?"

The exceedingly guilty-looking vampire hesitated for several seconds. Eventually, his shoulders drooped. Artemis learned the important lesson that the effects of heart-to-hearts in the hallways were somewhat lessened when he did the thing he wanted to hide in front of the person he wanted to hide things from. Go figure. Nevertheless, he held out for an impressive several seconds as he debated between lying and telling the truth. Holly likewise restrained herself from punching Artemis for a saintly several seconds. When people said she had no patience, they had never seen her deal with this mud-boy.

Artemis carefully removed the syringe from Nopal's waiting neck. He had been caught in quite the compromising position. Running away was not exactly an option, and no lie was getting him out of this. The truth, then. And they said Artemis Fowl never learned.

Nobody said that, but if the saying was that Artemis Fowl needed to unlearn being stubbornly secretive and a half-way pathological-liar, that was much more accurate.

Artemis used his free hand to stabilize Nopal, bringing the pixie tighter to his chest as a consequence. Said pixie let out a squeak of delight which the other two in the room ignored..

"Holly, what I have here is a truth serum that I developed in secret meant exclusively for the People," Artemis admitted. "I believe that this is the best way to ensure our safety. I failed to tell you because I..."

Artemis trailed off. He caught Holly's glare, his own deep-blue eye boring into his soul. The message was clear. Tell me the truth, mud-boy. Artemis gulped.

"...the serum was developed after your capture. I did not want to use anything I had made during that time, particularly in front of you. I myself wish to bury those memories, and I doubt that you are overly fond of them either."

Holly sighed exasperatedly, or at least tried to. In reality, after dealing with the same thing so many times, it came out more as a frustrated wheeze. The captain stalked over to Artemis, peeling Nopal off of him. Said pixie writhed beneath her straitjacket in displeasure but kept her peace when Holly held her protectively.

"I sense you are upset," Artemis perceptively said, head and arms drooping. He was still holding the syringe in one hand and at the moment felt like Beckett being caught with a particularly disgusting worm in his grip.

Holly rolled her eyes and bit down the first several replies. He was being remorseful at least. And she confirmed that Artemis was at least not trying to murder Nopal. She hadn't believed that to be the case—one, this was way too sloppy for Fowl, and two, she trusted him to not be that kind of person—but it was good to hear it from his mouth.

"Look," she said, tone more measured, "I'm kind of mad. Sure."

"I deeply apologize," Artemis said, a bitter smile making its way to his lips.

Is he thinking I'm about to dump him? Gods, he's insecure. Holly's hands twitched with the instinct to go over and hug the mud boy. That was dangerous. She damn-near instantly forgave him. Stupid, cute mud-boy doe eyes.

Then, Frond did I just assume that we're going out?

"Arty," she continued, "I'm mad, yes. I'm mad that you were about to plunge a needle into Nopal's throat. And it's a little unsettling that you've finally gotten around to make that fairy-truth serum. But I've forgiven you for that. You're not that person anymore."

Her eyes hardened. As much as she didn't like it, she had to scold him a little bit. This whole trust business had to go both ways, d'arvit.

"But, mud-boy, that doesn't mean you go behind my back for something this small. I thought you were going to do something incredibly immoral that I wanted nothing to do with, and frankly? I was kind of relieved I wasn't going to be doing it. But this? Arty, do you really think so little of our relationship that I'm going to hate you for doing something that's smart? Just because of who you were six years ago?"

Artemis looked abashed. He forced himself to meet Holly's mismatched eyes. His own on the left side, his better half on the right.

"You're correct, Holly. I should have trusted you. Does this mean that I should-"

"Yes, Fowl. It's still disgusting, but I'll make my peace with it. Do it before I change my mind. And believe me, we're going to talk after this."

The two stared at each other, having aired some of their grievances. Holly didn't think that this would change Artemis overnight, but it was a start. Then she felt Nopal gently headbutt her in the chest. She looked down at the pixie, looking up at her with surprising defiance.

"Holly, don't be mean," the Nopal scolded. "I want to tell the truth."

Immediately, some of the tension went out of the room. There was such a desire to do something for either of the two that it was palpable. Holly didn't think she would have had the heart to tell the pixie no even if she had wanted to. She ran a hand through the clone's hair, finding it slightly damp from sweat.

"Alright, Nopal, if it's what you want," the elf reassured her. "And don't worry about it too much. I'm not that mad at him, yelling at Arty is just a pastime."

"It's a position that I'm in so often it has become second-nature," Artemis drily remarked.

He approached the two fairies with his syringe.

"Alright, so no objections with continuing, Holly?"

Nopal looked up at Holly, parroting the question with a defiant pout.

"No," Holly sighed. "Get it over with."

Artemis watched Nopal. Holly had agreed. If Opal did indeed lurk beneath that cute exterior, it would be at this point that the megalomaniac would have gotten worried. There were no signs of hesitancy. Quite the opposite. Nopal was once again straining to bare her neck out for Artemis.

Thinking what Holly was imaging earlier with the vampires, Artemis pulled an alcohol pad and gently wiped Nopal's neck. No need for doubtlessly weak immune system to suddenly be fighting off an infection. He then briskly plunged the needle into her carotid artery, and slowly injected the serum with Holly supporting the pixie's neck.

After several seconds, Nopal's eyes clouded, though they still contained a great deal more lucidity than Artemis was expecting. It seemed to have worked. And now they would find out whether or not Opal was truly residing in the clone's body.

Or they would be played for fools.

"Is your name Nopal?" Artemis asked.

"Nopal is Nopal," the pixie said, slightly slurred.

"Yes or no?"

"Yeees."

Holly looked at Artemis.

"Are you sure this is working, Arty?"

"I feel my brain all fuzzy," Nopal answered for him. Then she clarified. "I am probably highly susceptible to suggestion. I feel like once I start speaking it will be straight from my consciousness and I don't think I can formulate any lies right now when asked a question."

Artemis nodded hesitantly. This was within projected results.

"Alright," he said, licking his lips. "Are you Opal Koboi?"

"No," Nopal answered immediately. "Nopal is Nopal."

Artemis let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. Holly had a look of similar relief. Artemis promptly refocused. They weren't quite out of the metaphorical Opal Koboi woods yet.

"Is there any contingency plan that you can feel implanted in your psyche that may allow Opal Koboi to reemerge?"

"No," the pixie murmured, "Nopal doesn't know an Opal Koboi."

"Do you feel any remnants of Opal Koboi in your psyche?" Artemis pressed. Nopal didn't exactly know who she used to be or who had created her, but that was mostly by design. Perhaps she should have been told after all.

"No. Arty who is-" Nopal began. Then she stopped, contorting her face into abject horror. She whined pathetically, a high and keening sound, as she tried to disappear into Holly. The elf looked at her in alarm, as the pixie began to babble.

"No, no, I didn't mean to say that! Arty, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she started blubbering as tears began pouring out from her wide and horrified eyes. "Please don't abandon me. I promise I'll be a good friend from now on. I'll never tell any lies and never make either of you worry. I'll do everything. I can stop eating. I'll fix the helmets. Please don't leave me."

She looked at Artemis, fearful and begging. He could see her arms twitching as she instinctively tried to raise her arms to reach him, but failing.

"I'm sorry, don't go, you're all I have," she pleaded.

The room was silent save for Nopal's hiccuping and wracking sobs. She was trembling violently in Holly's arms, unresponsive.

When Artemis had gotten Holly's grudging permission to drug the pixie, he expected some degree of relief. Now? He felt nauseous. He walked unsurely towards Holly, reaching out a hand. She gave him a similarly helpless look, simply holding onto the pixie.

He let the hand drop.

"Tell her that she can call me 'Arty,'" he said dumbly.