Author's Note : Hellow people ! :D

First an enormous THANK YOU to BlueHazel, WrathofAjax and KiaSunrise for their reviews ! It means so much to me :-) Also a big thanks for everyone who as favorited and followed the story !

Without further adue, here's chapter 7, the longest chapter so far ! There's a TON of action and different points of view in this one, I hope you'll enjoy it ! :-)

Disclaimer : Eoin Colfer is the author of the Artemis Fowl series, therefore I do not own any of its characters. Many elements of this fanfiction (including its title ^^) are also inspired or directly drawn from the 1998 Japanese anime 'Serial Experiments Lain' (GO WATCH IT) even though it is NOT a crossover.

Author's Recommandation : I personally love writing and reading to music. If you're interested, I highly recommand listening to Neon Demon (main theme) by Cliff Martinez, from the eponymous movie by Nicolas Winding Refn (freakin aesthetical masterpiece if you ask me). This piece of music just really fits the mood of the fanfic !

Enjoy your reading ! :-)

Database #07 : Avatar

STRAHOV MONASTERY'S ROOF, PRAGUE

Last night, something very strange had happened : an anonymous individual had hacked into Prague's main security company's database, and activated more than five hundred fire alarms across the entire city. The majority of the fairies just saw this as a weird, but not very alarming prank ; but Holly and Foaly knew exactly what this was about. It meant Selene was getting stronger.

Holly had managed to obtain a special visa for the surface by searching through the Reconnaissance service's postponed files, and finding the perfect alibi : a small swear toads invasion in Prague's sewers. The total absence of prestige, plus the city's deadly winter cold : with such a combo, no one had volunteered for the mission, and it had ended up in the LEP department's archives, classified non-urgent. Commander Root had been a little suspicious over her sudden interest in the case, but Holly had had such an exemplar behaviour these past months that he eventually authorized the mission.

This is how Captain Holly Short found herself freezing to the bone, alone on the roof of Strahov Monastery, right across Strahovska street from Selene's building, in the middle of one of the coldest December nights ever. It was even worse than Russia : at least, during their mission in Mourmansk, they were wearing special coats.

Fingers numb, Holly activated her wings, and rose up in the air, openly cursing Foaly and his so-called heated suits. She waited for his sulky reply, but her communicator remained silent. The centaur was still recovering, and she was truly alone on this.

For a split second, and even if she had maintained a fearless facade with her centaurian friend when she had left him in Argon's clinic, Holly felt overwhelmed by apprehension. But she shook her head, trying to pull herself together.

She was a fairy. A LEPrecon officer. Last time she had been endangered by a human, it was because she had been ambushed ; because it was Artemis. But this time, she wouldn't be caught by surprise, and Artemis wouldn't be here. It was Christmas break in Ireland, so he was certainly at home with his parents, eating cakes and building snowmen replicas of Michel Ange sculptures.

Well, at least she hoped he was.

Holly shielded, and hovered above Strahov Monastery, examining the place accross the street. Selene's building was quite small – about four floors only –, and badly maintained : the facade was really dirty, and one of the windows on the fourth floor was broken. Actually, there was only light in Selene's apartment, on the third floor. Otherwise, the entire building seemed to be abandoned. Holly hesitated.

This was definitely very strange. How could a girl who lived in such a place afford the advanced machines she needed to use the Wired ? Foaly had explained to Holly that the Wired was quantic, as the fairy Internet, and even though the elf wasn't fond of geek stuff, she knew that handling quantic code wasn't something any human computer could do. Right now, she might be heading directly into the lion's den. What if Foaly was right, and Artemis was involved, somehow ?

Holly shook her head, and pressed the speed button of her wings. Whatever was going on here, there was only one way to find out.

The elf reached the fourth floor's broken window, and punched the dirty glass with her elbow, before jumping inside through the expanded hole. Normally, Holly wouldn't have been able to enter a human building uninvited without risking to loose her magic ; but Selene had been quite explicit.

Find me if you like.

Holly landed without a sound, like a panther, and turned her wings off, all her senses alert, craving for anything suspect.

The first thing she noticed was the heat.

Actually, there was no way she could not notice it : there was steam emitting from the flaws in the wooden floor. When she switched her visor into thermal vision, and looked down, all she could see was red and orange waves. She kneeled, and listened attentively.

There was a latent, menacing humming downstairs. A computer's humming.

Holly immediately pulled out her Neutrino, and crossed the empty living room, ending up in the building's corridor. There was no elevator, so she went down the stairs. The more she descended, the more searing and thick the atmosphere was. When she set foot on the third floor, she was sweating, her legs weak and languid because of the stifling heat. It was even more unbearable than the cold outside. Holly took off her gloves and brushed her damp fingers on her suit. She would need to have a firm grip on her gun, in case anything went wrong – and things were definitely going to go wrong, she was now sure of it.

Holly tried to open Selene's door with the Omnitool she had borrowed from Trouble Kelp – but it wasn't locked. There was even a "Welcome" doormat.

Holly hesitated whether or not she should try to take Selene by surprise, or straightforwardly burst into the place with her Neutrino brandished. She knew the first option was recommanded, but it was very hard for a fairy to maintain their shielding under extreme temperatures, and Holly was already starting to feel dizzy and nauseous. The elf sighed. So long for the discretion, then.

Holly unshielded, and set her Neutrino on the "crisped to a cinder" setting. She smashed the door open with her right foot and bursted in the apartment, her gun steady in both her hands, scanning her surroundings.

The room was large, and mostly empty. Mostly, because at the center of it, there was an enormous computer core unit, with several monitors and a keyboard directly set on the floor. The heat here was utterly suffocating, even though all of the windows were opened on the winter night.

And, sitting in front of the computer, there was a girl. She had turned around when Holly had entered the room, and she stared quietly at the elf, not at all discomfited to have a gun aimed on her forehead.

For a split second, Holly was disoriented, for the girl was completely naked, and didn't seem concerned at all about hiding her nudity.

She appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen, but she was quite androgynous. Her face was… surprisingly ordinary, and her eyes of an undefined color. The only noticeable thing was her hair – dark, and very short, like she had been growing out of a buzzcut for less than three weeks.

In a way, the fact that the girl was so calm, and looked so normal, frightened Holly. She was expecting an incarnation of evil, and she was standing before a naked young girl. Was this really Selene ? What the hell was going on ?

" Freeze, or I'll shoot ! " Holly yelled, steadying her grip on her Neutrino.

The girl tilted her head. Her voice was surprisingly low and serious.

" Who are you ? A fairy ? " she asked in Czech.

" I believe you know exactly who I am, Selene ", Holly replied in the same language, her eyes narrowing.

The girl turned around completely to face Holly, legs crossed. The elf stepped back instinctively, but the girl truly didn't seem malicious. That was really becoming far too unsettling for Holly's taste.

" I assure you I don't. I can't see your face with this helmet you're wearing ", Selene answered. " Aren't you hot with this suit ? You can take it off if you want. "

Holly's Neutrino lowered. She was stupefied. How could this girl possibly be the same person who had almost killed Foaly and plunged Prague into chaos ? Was this a trap or a joke of some sort ? Suddenly, Selene's eyes widened, as she seemed to be realizing something.

" Oh, I think I get it. Has the other one done you any wrong ? " she asked.

Holly's blood froze in her veins.

" The… other one ? Who are you talking about ? What's his name ? "

" … So they has done something to you ", Selene said matter-of-factly. " I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I can't help … Hey ! "

The girl had merely finished her sentence when she found herself lying on her back, immobilized and the Neutrino's tip only fifty centimeters away from her nose. Selene struggled, but Holly's boot pressed harder against her throat, making her face turn red. She gave up, and stared back at the fairy.

" You're hurting me ", Selene stated with the same quiet and serious tone, as if she was at a business meeting.

" That's exactly the point, sweetie ", Holly replied with a threatening look. " I'm in no mood for cryptic explanations. I'm a police officer, and you are suspected of serious hacking activities. You better have some good explanations, kiddo. First, where did you get this computer from ? You stole it ? "

Selene's eyes narrowed.

" I didn't steal anything. The computer has always been here. "

" Oh, certainly, and I am the Tooth Fairy. I think you don't get it, Mudgirl : this is not a game anymore. You have hurt my friend Foaly. Badly. And you will pay for this. "

" I told you it's not me ", Selene retorted. " It's the other one. "

" Enough with the pronoun game ! " Holly yelled furiously. " Who is it ? "

Finally, Selene's composure broke, and she looked confused. A drop rolled down on her cheek, but Holly couldn't tell if it was tears or sweat.

" I don't know. I honestly don't know. I… I don't know if the other one is real. But you won't believe me, anyway. "

Holly hesitated whether she should punch the girl or not, but her disarray seemed genuine.

" Tell me everything you know about this other one. Everything. "

Selene didn't move for a second. When she spoke, it was in a murmur, and Holly had to bend closer to hear her.

" I am a human ; I have parents, and childhood memories. But it feels… empty. Fake. Only this place is real. Nothing that has happened before is. The other one… possesses me. I wait here, all day, and sometimes I wake up in front of the computer, and I know I've been out for some time, but I can't tell how long, nor what I have done. They just… contact me, they come inside my head, and I can't control anything anymore. Sometimes, I can hear the other one's voice, but… they never talk to me. I think they… I think they don't believe I'm real. But I am real, right ? It's the other one who isn't, right ? But then, how can they control me ? Why am I here ? "

The more she spoke, the more her calm and serious facade crackled, until she ended up crying.

" I am real. I am real. I am real. … I must be… "

Holly stepped out of Selene's throat, and she watched the girl curl up like a cat, completely distraught, still crying. The elf was lost. This made absolutely no sense. But then, she put the pieces together, and everything became clear.

Multiple personalities disorder.

Holly lowered her Neutrino, and sighed. That was the only possible explanation. There were still some mysteries – like, how Selene had managed to get this computer, and how she or her split personality had found out about the Wired in the first place ; but even though she was insane, and seemingly very emotional, or even hypersensitive, Selene was still clearly very intelligent. And, with some time, and a proper treatment, they would certainly get some answers at Argon's clinic.

Holly put her Neutrino in its holster, and kneeled. She took out her helmet, and put it on the floor – the air was hardly breathable, but it was still better than being slowly cooked as if her head was in a microwave. The elf approached, and ran her hand down Selene's back. She was now positive the young girl was completely harmless.

" Where are your parents ? " she asked softly.

Selene raised her head, and looked up at the fairy.

" I don't know ", she said. " They were with me, and then a moment after I was here with the computer, and they were gone. You know, my middle name is the contraction of their names' first syllabs. Lydia, and Liam. Lilia. It's me. "

Holly nodded gently. The girl was still in emotional distress, and needed to be handled carefully.

" Don't worry, we will find them, and you'll see them soon, I promise. But right now, you must come with me, okay ? "

" No ! "

Holly jumped, surprised. Selene had backed up from her, and stood up right next to her computer, in a defense posture. Her legs were weak and had trouble supporting her weight, but her look was fierce.

" I am staying here. I have to. "

Holly was disoriented.

" Why ? I thought you wanted to see your parents. "

Selene clenched her fists. There was a maddening glow in her eyes, and Holly grabbed her Neutrino, ready to pull it out if need be. She didn't want to harm the sick girl, but if she started to go crazy, there wouldn't be much other choice.

" I do want my parents, " Selene said, back to her usual business-like tone. " But I must stay here. … It's my purpose. "

" Your… what ? "

" The other one made me ; and they made me to be here. I cannot leave. I cannot betray them. If I loose them, my existence will have no goal anymore. And what does it mean to live a life without a purpose ? "

Holly was taken aback. Selene's delirium was worse than she had thought.

" I'll tell you ", Selene continued. " Living a life without a purpose, is meaningless. It's inhuman. I think I'd rather be dead than loose my humanity. The other one… is my mainspring. My raison d'être. I am just their puppet ; but at least, I am something. "

Holly put her hands up, palms facing Selene, in a gesture of appeasement. It would have probably worked better, hadn't she had her Neutrino in her right hand, but if she wanted to take the girl with her, she'll probably have to knock her down anyway.

" Fine, fine, you stay here ", Holly said. " No problem. "

Selene crossed her arms on her lap. She wouldn't be fooled that easily. Holly thinked hard, and came up with an idea. Maybe she wouldn't even have to knock the girl down, if it worked.

" You said the other one could contact you, right ? " she asked. " It must work the other way around, doesn't it ? Why don't you ask the other one if you can come with me ? Maybe they'll agree ! "

Selene frowned for a second, then her face lit up.

" This is actually an idea ! ", she said kneeling in front of the computer.

She started tapping the keyboard, no longer paying attention to Holly. Quickly, the elf sent a message to Foaly, stating she was going to bring a young Mudgirl crippled with mental illness in Haven City. There was no way she would leave her to go rambling around in Prague, with all the things she knew and her current mental state. But Holly would need all of Foaly's diplomatic help, if she didn't want to arrive at Haven's shuttle port and be welcomed by Commander Root's tri-barreled blaster.

She realized that if her career depended on Foaly's diplomatic skills, maybe she should consider giving up her acorn badge straight away. The thought wasn't very comforting.

Especially since she kept having a very bad feeling about this. As if she was missing something important. And she just couldn't put out what.

" There, I've finished my message, I'm sending it now ", Selene said, still facing her computer's monitors.

" Yeah, perfect ", Holly replied absent-mindedly, still thinking.

Something was off. Her instinct screamed out for an approaching danger. Despite the heat, Holly felt a cold sweat running down her spine, and shivered.

" The other one has received my message ! " Selene said. " Do you think they'll let me see my parents ? "

Holly froze. The parents.

Within a heartbeat, she had reached for her helmet, and pressed the button that activated the voice-command option. Quickly, she pressed her lips against the microphone, and whispered Artemis' name. An holographic version of his file popped up on the helmet's visor.

And then, Holly felt as if her heart had stopped beating.

– Artemis Fowl the Second – MINDWIPED. 01-09-1992 (13 years old). Criminal mastermind.

– Known relatives : Angeline Lydia Fowl, born Sullivan (mother) and Artemis Liam Fowl (father).

She immediately dropped the helmet, which bounced on the floor, swallowed by the darkness in the corners of the room. Within the same move, she pulled out her Neutrino, and pointed it toward the young Czech girl.

" Selene, I know who the other one is. We must go right now ! " she screamed.

But the young girl didn't move. Her monitors were Glitching heavily. When she eventually turned around, Holly gasped in horror.

This expression. This smile.

That wasn't Selene.

Holly's Neutrino was shaking in her hands. Horrified, she couldn't manage to pull the trigger. The girl's vampiric grin widened at Holly's shocked face, revealing her teeth. When she spoke, it was in English, with a slight Irish accent.

" Captain Short, I presume ", she said in a cold, presomptuous tone the fairy knew far too well.

Holly pulled the Neutrino's trigger. At the same instant, Selene turned her gaze towards the gun, and pressed the Enter key on the keyboard.

The Neutrino's backup mini-nuke cell grilled instantly, and an electric shockwave ran through the gun and Holly's arm. Her body was projected into the wall behind her, and she collapsed on the floor like a ragdoll, electrocuted and unconscious.

When she woke up, she was in a fairy shuttle, surrounded by the entire Retrieval One team. Her Neutrino laid on a table nearby, completely melted. And Trouble Kelp's apologetic look told her that her problems had only just started.

FOWL MANOR, IRELAND

" Artemis ? Dear, are you okay ? What's going on ? "

Angeline knocked hurriedly on her son's bedroom door. The young Fowl had an exasperated sigh at his mother's insistance, and quickly logged out of the Wired before she decided to enter without his invitation. Such a disrespectful behaviour was dangerously becoming her habit. Artemis sat on his bed, dropping his phone on the carpet, and exhaled deeply. He had a dangerously deadly look on his face, but his heart was heavily pounding. He had just avoided a complete catastrophy.

He was certainly not okay, and as for what was going on, he would be delighted to have the slightest idea himself.

He was having dinner with his mother when he had received Selene's message. The mere fact that his avatar was sending him a message would have been astounding enough, if it wasn't for the message itself.

– Dear creator, there is a fairy here who says she's a police officer and wants to take me with her. She's armed and dangerous. Please come and save me. Selene.

Artemis had felt the blood withdrewing from his face. Pretexting an emergency, he had bursted out of the dining room straight to his bedroom, logging on the Wired as he ran down the corridor. He had thought it might very well be a set up, or a trick from his nemesis Foaly ; but if it wasn't, the consequences could be so desastrous for him and his plan that he had no choice than to deal with the situation immediately.

And he had been very right to do so. Immediately after entering Selene's login and password, he had retraced her message's IP address, only to see his fears concretized : the address was indeed the one he had crafted with Aegis. The Wired indicated him that Selene's computer possessed an integrated webcam, and he hacked into it immediately. The scene which then occured before his eyes left him completely astonished.

Facing the webcam, a naked androgynous teenager with very short hair. Behind her, a fairy in a LEPrecon suit, Neutrino pulled out, a terrified look on her face. For a brief moment, Artemis felt truly helpless – everything was going out of control, and there was absolutely nothing he could do. But then, he noticed something.

The girl mimicked his expression perfectly, even though she had no possible visual of him. When he regained his composure and adopted his usual cold stare, her otherwise common and ordinary features twisted in the same manner, making Artemis feel as if he was facing a girl version of himself in the mirror.

He was taken aback first, but slowly, his lips, and Selene's, twisted into his signature vampiric smile. He started typing on his phone's keyboard, and Selene turned around to face the LEP officer. The webcam model on her computer couldn't record sound, but Artemis knew exactly what Selene said to the fairy – for it was his own words he had just typed.

– Captain Short, I presume.

He watched the officer's face decompose in horror, and hacked into her Neutrino at the precise moment where she pulled the trigger. If he hadn't managed to neutralize her, she would have shot Selene in the head with an orange one hundred degree centigrades beam, knocking her out instantly.

" Nice shot… I guess. "

Now the emergency was handled, Artemis only had the time to attend to the most urgent things : getting rid of Captain Short's unconscious body somewhere she could be found by her colleagues, and securing Selene in a safer spot, until he could take a more proper look at the situation.

The first imperative was quickly and easily dealt with ; Selene actually had some worn-out clothes, probably stolen, that she kept in the bathroom, and Artemis, controlling his avatar's body, took Captain Short down Strahovska street and dumped her in the nearest sewer drain. He had checked her official mission order, and decided it was better to support her alibi. She was probably the only one, along with the centaur Foaly, to know about the Wired, and he didn't want her failed attempt at stopping him to raise the fairies' suspicion, and ultimately spoil his revenge plan.

Then, using the Wired's edit mode, he added a self-destruction procedure to Selene's computer's hard drive, and set it to activate five minutes after she would have left the building. It was a pity to give up on such an advanced machine, but he had to leave absolutely no trace behind them.

Afterwards, Artemis had had the intention to take Selene to an hotel or something alike, but her mother, knocking at his door, kept on distracting him, and he had to gave up, and hope his avatar would be able to handle herself.

" Artemis ! Please, answer me ! Please ! "

The young Fowl closed his eyes, and sighed. Even though he was relieved that nothing had eventually went wrong, he couldn't help but feel a painful weight in his stomach.

Artemis Fowl was undoubtedly a perfect example of a control freak, and there weren't many things he hated more than having to deal with unknown or unstable variables. And Selene appeared to be both of these.

How come my digital avatar has ended up as real human being – or is she even human at all ? Is it because I've created her in the Wired ? How would that be possible ?

But, most of all, the Selene incident meant one thing. It meant that the Wired still held some secrets he hadn't uncovered yet. Secrets that Foaly, hence his seniority as the Wired administrator before him, probably knew about, and might try to use against him. And that was extremely preoccupying.

The bedroom door suddenly flung open, and Angeline irrupted in Artemis's room, her hands shaking. Seeing her son seated on his bed, his face pale as if he had seen his doppelganger, she stood still for a second, unsure what to do ; then she rushed to him, and slapped him. Artemis was pulled straight back to reality, and raised a hand to his burning cheek, stupefied. His mother had never hit him before.

" For Christ's sake, why didn't you just answer me ? " she yelled in a broken voice, tears streaming down her face.

An awful shard of guilt pierced through Artemis' heart. He knew far too well how emotionally fragile his mother was. What kind of monster was he becoming, ignoring her cries of pain as she just tried to reach out to him ?

But Angeline should have reached out to him years ago. Instead, she had abandoned him, and now it was too late to fix her broken boy. What was Artemis' alternative, if the only thing he could do for his mother was protecting her from himself ? From the terrible things he was plotting, and from what he had become ?

Angeline took Artemis' hands, and kneeled in front of him, desperately trying to make eye contact.

" Artemis, my baby… Why didn't you just answer me ? " she whispered.

Artemis stared back, with his sick, merciless red eyes.

" Because there is nothing you can do to help me. "

Angeline removed her hands from her son's as if he had burned her. She stayed there, in shock, but Artemis didn't flinch.

Her lower lip trembling, Angeline stood up, and left the room. It was only when he was alone that Artemis allowed his emotions out, and buried his head in his hands, his osseous shoulders trembling softly.

.

Artemis stayed in his room until he lost track of time, unable to decide what to do. He knew he had to get back to Selene before she could do any more damage, before she risked ruining his plan ; but he didn't want to.

After their argument, Angeline had gone to the music room. It was supposedly soundproof, but he could hear the piano notes, which meant she had left the door opened. For over two hours, she had been playing all of their favourites : Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, even Alice Coltrane. Right now, she was playing Erik Satie's Gnossienne n°5 ; it was Artemis' preferred piano composition.

She was calling him. Offering him a chance to come back to her and undo what he had said earlier.

Artemis rose up from his bed, and left his room. In the corridor, he hesitated.

Upstairs, his mother was waiting for him. For the past two weeks, she had taken care of him, even if she didn't understand anything about what he was going through. When he had arrived home from Saint Bartleby, this morning, he had been stunned to see her. With a little help from the Wired, he had crafted a very important and non cancellable business trip for his parents, in order to have a few days where he could work freely. His father, of course, had went – business was business. But his mother stayed. For him.

The piano notes flowing from the music room were as elegant as always, but there was a newfound softness to them – like a tender caress on his cheek. Artemis remembered how, three years ago, after his father had gone missing, being able to play music with his mother was everything he had craved for. But he was just a child back then.

Heavy-hearted, Artemis turned around, and went to the other end of the hallway, to his office. Satie's nostalgic melody faded away, and he closed the door behind him.

When he would have retaliated from the fairies, he would be done with the Wired. There would be plenty of time for him to be with his mother afterwards, and spend entire afternoons of playing music with her.

But right now, there was someone else who really needed him.

UNKNOWN STREET, PRAGUE

The last thing Selene remembered from before her blackout was sending the other one a call for help message. Then, things already started to be blurry in her mind ; she was quite sure, however, that she had witnessed her message being received and opened. Then, total blankness. When she had awakened, she was all alone, outside, in the middle of the night, with no clue as to where or how far her home was.

Selene coughed, and kept on walking, tightening her arms around her lap. The coat she was wearing was old and stinky, as well as the shoes that were too big for her and had holes in it. She had found the clothes in the building, one time where she had explored the other floors and realized there was no one else. Selene's teeth were chattering now, and she couldn't feel her toes anymore. She hadn't think she would ever come to have such thoughts, but she missed her apartment's hot and suffocating atmosphere.

At first, when she had realized she was lost outside, Selene had almost panicked. It was the first time she was out of the apartment after she had first woken up inside it. The furthest she had gone was the first floor of the building. But she had managed to remain calm. There was probably a reason why the other one had left her here. She guessed the apartment wasn't safe anymore, and she needed to go somewhere else. The other one would certainly contact her again then.

But why would the other one leave her in the middle of nowhere, with no indication whatsoever and without a phone or money ? What if… the other one had abandoned her ? What if she had failed at her task, and they had decided to get rid of her ?

But that couldn't possibly be. She had done everything the right way, she knew it. So, there was only one option left : the other one wanted to get her to a safer place, but had been forced to stop possessing her for some reason. And even if she was, much alike Artemis, a genius, Selene couldn't find a satisfying explanation about that.

The other one was her creator. For some time, Selene had even believed they didn't exist physically. If they had been able to create her, then what in the world could keep them to do whatever they wanted ?

Thinking hard, mustering all the informations she had about the other one, the Wired, and philosophical and theological theories about God, Selene walked for a good three hours, roaming in the streets, before eventually ending up in Prague's Old Town district. There, she had to stop for a while ; she wasn't in the greatest physical condition, nor hadn't she eaten in the past ten hours. More walking, and she would collapse out of fatigue.

Selene stopped, and looked around. She had just crossed a large bridge, and ended up in a plaza of some sort, surrounded by big buildings. Thanks to the general culture she shared with Artemis, she recognized the Karlovy University, right in front of the bridge, and, on the left, the Rudolfinum Concert Hall. After a quick hesitation, she headed for the latter.

When Selene pushed the big glass doors, a warm, comforting heat wave enveloped her, and she let out a relieved sigh. She took a few steps inside, listening to the music filtrating from the concert room in front of her, and tried to look around, but the exacerbated lights in the entrance hall dazzled her, making her eyes water – after all, the only artificial light she had been used to was her late computer's.

Suddenly, as she stood there half-blinded, a strong, lean hand clenched upon her arm, making her squeak in terror. She blinked, trying to discern her attackant's face.

" Shut up and get out of there, kid ! Beggars are not allowed inside the Concert Hall ! " the person said in a mean voice – Selene deducted it was a security guard or something alike.

Selene was already profusely apologizing, looking down so her eyes could eventually accustom to the light, when the guard's talkie walkie buzzed. Still staring at her feet, Selene listened.

" Yes, chief ? Nothing wrong, just a homeless kid who tried to break in… What ? Huh… Yeah, the kid has short black hair. Why are you… Wh… What ? "

Selene raised her head slightly. The guard, a tall, skeleton-like thirty-years-old man, looked fairly confused at the instructions he was given.

" But chief… you… Well, okay, chief. "

The guard put his talkie walkie down, and granted Selene with a mean look.

" Come with me and be quiet. "

Selene's eyes shone with happiness, and she smiled truthfully. The other one ! They hadn't abandoned her !

The guard led Selene across the Rudolfinum's entrance hall, into a service door behind the vestiary. The staff room in which they ended up was only lit by a small, dusty bulb on the ceiling, and Selene felt much more at ease. The guard pointed her towards a small formica table, and went back to the door as soon as she was seated. He glared at her intently, and narrowed his eyes.

" Wait here, and don't try to steal anything ! " he said.

Then, he slammed the door shut. Selene waited, not quite sure what to do, when she heard a phone buzzing into one of the coats hanging on the pegs by the door. She hesitated for a second, but stood up and took the phone out of the coat's pocket. The incoming call read "Anonymous". Selene's heart started pounding heavily, and she answered the call, her hands shaking.

" … Allo ? " she whispered.

" Selene, is that you ? " a boy's voice answered in a perfect Czech – even though it had a slight Irish accent.

The young girl let out a cry of sheer relief. The voice at the other end of the line was cold, and emotionless – but it was her creator's voice.

" From your reaction, I deduce that you are Selene indeed ", the voice continued. " Please excuse the… mess from earlier. Since I've made you to be as intelligent as I am, I think you have guessed that your, let's say corporeal existence wasn't really a part of my plan. "

" I have myself doubted that you were real, Creator ", Selene answered. " Even the fairy officer seemed to imply I was suffering from multiple personalities disorder – or, well, I think she was. But you've saved my life, so that must mean you are real. Just, pardon my asking, but… are you… a God ? "

The other one took a moment to reply.

" Technically speaking, I am a human. But, thanks to you, I have recently acquired full access to a source of power which brings me very close to the common definition of omniscient and omnipotent. "

" You mean the Wired ? "

" Precisely. "

" Does this mean… I am… your Wired's avatar ? "

" … Yes, you are ", the other one eventually replied, a hint of pride in his tone at Selene's keen mind. " I've created you when I first discovered the Wired, a little more than two weeks ago. By then, I needed to hide my true identity. The fact is, you were merely a digital mask to me – I had no idea you would turn out to be real, and I must admit I still haven't quite figured out all the ins and outs of this peculiar situation. But I… wait, what is this ? "

Selene raised her head. There was a loudspeaker at the other end of the room, so the staff could follow the concert's progression.

" Do you mean the music, Creator ? I think I recognize Antonio Vivaldi's La Follia, but I can't be sure, I only know it from the general knowledge you gave me. But I must say I really like it so far. "

The other one stayed silent for a few seconds. When he spoke again, it was with a more caring tone.

" It is very pleasing for me to be referred as your Creator, but I'm not sure it is truly the best thing to do for my ego. My name is Artemis Fowl the Second. … You can call me Artemis. "

Selene smiled. Artemis, the Moon Goddess. Now, she knew where her own name came from.

But Selene realized something, and slowly, her joy faded.

" You said that you needed to hide your identity, by then. Does that imply you no longer need me ? "

" Well, I happen to know personally the elf who tried to arrest you, and she certainly recognized me when I controlled you. Plus, I have stolen Foaly, the technological consultant of the fairy forces, his administrator rights in the Wired, so there's not much left they can do to harm me. I'm free to assume my own identity from now on. "

" But… what are you going to do with me ? " Selene asked in a small voice.

She sensed Artemis' hesitation. Obviously, he hadn't really considered that ; and Selene couldn't help but think it was very selfish of him. The young girl felt a lump of sadness fall on her heart.

" You are really hurting my feelings right now ", she said the more matter-of-factly as she could. " I realize you didn't plan for me to be corporeal, but you can't ignore the fact that I am here now. "

" I am not ignoring it, Selene. I'm doing my best to figure out a proper solution. "

" Why can't you just take me where you live ? "

Artemis was visibly taken aback.

" … That would be rather complicated, Selene. "

" You just said you were almost omniscient and omnipotent ! How could it be complicated for you to take me with you ? ", Selene cut angrily. " It's not complicated at all. You just don't want to be bothered by my presence. But you've created me. You are responsible for me now. "

Artemis' tone was suddenly much colder. Selene couldn't help but shrink like a kitten facing a tiger.

" Watch your tone, Selene. As you just said, I've created you, and I don't tolerate insubordination. If you want to be insolent with me, prepare to suffer the consequences. "

Selene swallowed, but didn't let herself be discomfited.

" Please forgive me for my impertinence. But don't forget that the login and password you use in the Wired are technically mine. I have the same powers than you… not to mention the fact that you created me to be your equal. It would be a lot safer for you to be able to keep a close eye on me at all times, wouldn't it ? "

Artemis didn't answer, and suddenly Selene feared that she was going to be obliterated in the seconds to come. In a last, desperate attempt, she said :

" Please, Artemis. Father. "

No response.

" Father. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Please… don't abandon me. "

The young girl was only met with a long, very long silence, and she held her breath, her heart pounding so hard it threatened to burst out of her chest. But, eventually, Artemis answered.

" Well, I imagine my mother will be very pleased to meet her granddaughter – even though we will have to agree on an alibi, as we are physically the same age. "

Selene, despite the exhilarating happiness that overwhelmed her, hesitated to say that his mother was real, at least ; but Artemis had hung up before she could retort anything. The young girl released the breath she had been holding, and slumped on her chair. A sudden text notification noise made her jump, and she grabbed the phone again.

– I'm coming to get you. I will arrive by jet in about two hours, with a trusted friend who will be the only one, except me, to know your true identity and origin. To anyone else, you are Lilia Novakova, a Czech orphan whom I have befriended online, and decided to take under my wing. You are free to come up with whatever backstory you like – just don't mention the original names I had given your parents. Stay in the Rudofinum Concert Hall area, but don't attract attention upon you.

– See you later. Artemis

FOWL MANOR, IRELAND

Artemis laid back on his chair, and sighed, pinching the tip of his nose to contain the bleeding.

He hadn't expected Selene to be so stubborn ; but he also hadn't expected her to be a sentient being in the first place, so he guessed that he should consider himself lucky that she craved for his help rather than his demise – for if he had been in her position, that's certainly what he would have done.

Once he felt his nosebleeding had stopped, Artemis stood up and headed for the manor's dojo. The only thing he wanted to do was getting into bed, but unfortunately, the night was far from being over.

Especially since he had to explain the situation to Butler.

FOWL'S PRIVATE LEAR JET, ONE HOUR AND A HALF LATER, ABOVE GERMANY

Madame Ko's training is known for being one of the most intensive and eclectic in the world, preparing its students to overcome many difficult situations ranging from facing an entire group of assassins alone, to preparing an homemade apfelstrudel in less than an hour. But the key part of the entire training, the master element to any of the multiple disciplines taught by Madame Ko, was calm.

Butler was the youngest disciple of Madame Ko's academy to obtain the blue diamond tattoo ; and his main strength had always been his capacity to remain calm in any situation.

But right now, as he was piloting the Fowl's Lear Jet, heading straight to Prague, with the mission to accompany Artemis as he was going to bring home his Wired avatar, after it had revealed itself to materialize as a freaking living human being, the manservant was seriously contemplating the idea of punching his young principle's face until some common sense finally made its way into his so-called brilliant brain. How come a genius such as the young Fowl managed to always put himself into the worst troubles even Madame Ko's academy hadn't prepared him for, was a mystery yet unsolved.

Butler quickly turned his head at the jet's security cameras' monitors, and was relieved to see Artemis was sleeping, curled up in his seat. But the bodyguard couldn't help but frown.

It seemed to him that the more time passed, the less his charge looked … human.

Well, to be honest, with his diaphanous skin and penetrating eyes, the young Fowl had always been more similar to a vampire than a regular child ; but since he had started using the Wired, he was truly in a morbid state.

Right now, with his puffy eyes and sunken cheeks, and his exhausted, preoccupied expression, even in his sleep, Artemis Fowl looked like the ghost of himself.

Heartbroken, Butler turned back and focused on piloting the jet. They had flewn over Dresden about ten minutes ago ; they would reach Prague's airport shortly. The manservant allowed his thoughts to wander, in order to grasp the situation a little better.

He didn't know what to make out of the fact Artemis had requested his help to deal with "the living avatar situation". On one hand, Butler knew the young boy totally had the opportunity to lie to him to get him to do what he wanted ; he was happy to see that his charge still trusted him. But on the other hand, the situation was totally unprecedented and extremely worrying ; and even if he could see Artemis' state deteriorating a little more each day, the manservant had no idea what to do.

It was pretty obvious that the Wired was… somehow, poisoning Artemis. But the bodyguard couldn't simply overstep his charge's will and force him to stop using the Wired ; it wasn't his place to do that – even if Artemis was visibly making the wrong decisions for his health. Butler couldn't even be mad at him for that : he was one of the very few persons in the world to acknowledge Artemis' intelligence, all while never forgetting the fact he was still a child – and an extremely lonely one with that.

It only happened very rarely, and the bodyguard had always kept these feelings for himself ; but sometimes, including now, he wished he wasn't just a substitute paternal figure for Artemis, but his actual father. This way, he might have had the power to compel him to change his mind, and give up on whatever his plan was, before it was too late.

But he knew his charge too well to believe it would have worked. Seeing how Artemis had ousted his father from the house was sufficient enough ; but Butler knew that whatever he might try to say to reason him, his principal wouldn't listen ; and that, in a flash of guilt, he might even push him back even harder for trying to intervene and help him. This is how Artemis was : he just didn't want to be saved.

" How long until we arrive, Butler ? "

The manservant raised his head. Artemis, massaging his sore eyes with his hand, had entered the cockpit and sat on the copilot seat.

" Five minutes ", Butler answered, his tone clear from all the concerns he had about his charge.

Artemis nodded.

" Perfect. There's a slight modification in our program : we won't have to rent a car. Selene has managed to get to Vaclav Havel airport. "

" But I thought you told her to stay put ? "

" Yes, I had ", Artemis replied with a sigh. " But she is quite resourceful, and not extremely obedient. It seems as if she intently tries to find the best way to annoy me. "

" Well, pardon me for saying that, but I can see who she gets that from ", Butler said innocently.

Artemis rolled his eyes, but he actually looked a bit apologetic, so the manservant estimated the night wasn't entirely wasted.

" We do appear to have quite a lot in common ", Artemis said. " She's my avatar, after all. I had tried to make her personality as different of mine as I could, but it seems that even with my extended knowledge in psychology, I can't escape my own unconscious. "

Butler suddenly pictured having to take care of two Artemis at the same time. It sounded as close to a vision from Hell as could be.

Eventually, they reached Prague's main airport, and Butler landed the Lear jet on the domestic flights area. As it was about midnight, the landing zone was completely empty. At first, there seemed to be absolutely no one around ; but Butler noticed a tiny silhouette in oversized clothes, waiting in front of the building.

Once the Lear jet had landed, the silhouette ran towards the plane, and Butler went to get her after he had opened the automatic door.

The manservant helped the young girl inside the jet, and couldn't help but notice how pale and skinny she was. He was also surprised by how unremarkable her features were, save for her short hair. He had been picturing a feminine version of Artemis, and was a little puzzled. The girl stared back at him with an anxious expression, and he chastized himself. This wasn't just an avatar, this was a real young girl. He couldn't even begin to imagine how scared and confused she must be.

" Forgive my rudeness, please ", he said, kneeling down so he could look at her in the eyes. " My name is Butler. I am Artemis' bodyguard. "

Selene smiled hesitantly. The manservant couldn't help but think she was a lot more expressive and open than her creator.

" Butler ? That's a funny name ", she replied. " My name is Selene. I am Artemis' daught… "

" You should stop saying that, Selene. This is true only metaphorically speaking. "

In the same move, the manservant and the avatar turned toward the cockpit. Artemis stood on the doorframe, examining Selene from head to toe, pretty much in the manner of a scientist reviewing their latest creation – searching for the slightest flaw.

Butler hated how this behaviour was similar to Artemis' own father, back when his charge was a young child.

But Selene wasn't taken aback, and moved forward until she was standing face to face with Artemis. They both stood still, for a long moment, scanning each other's eyes.

" I am disappointing you ", Artemis eventually said in English.

Selene lowered her head.

" I'm sorry ", she whispered in the same language.

" Don't be. I'm the person responsible for your very existence, and you've been picturing me as a God for weeks ; it's normal that I cannot match with what you imagined. If it can comfort you, I'm fairly disappointed with you too. "

Butler facepalmed mentally. Was it too late to consider a premature retirement ?

But it appeared that Artemis had processed what he had just said, for his composure broke slightly, and he looked a little embarrassed. Suddenly, the manservant realized how dire the situation was.

Having Artemis being responsible for a child's well-being was possibly the worst idea in the world. Butler hesitated to express his concern immediately, but Artemis broke the awkward silence :

" When was last time you ate ? "

" This morning. I used to order pizza with the building's previous owner's account. I would have preferred caviar, but they didn't have any at the pizzeria. "

Artemis had a little crooked smile, and turned to his bodyguard.

" Could you give our guest something to eat, please ? Then, we'll go back home. I'm going to need some proper sleep, if I want to be in shape for tomorrow morning. "

Butler, halfway from the jet's fridge, froze into place, and frowned.

" What do you mean tomorrow morning ? "

Artemis' crooked smile expanded.

" I think it's time for the fairies to face the consequences of trying to dominate me. Tomorrow, I'm getting my plan started. "

Selene and Butler exchanged a look. They both had no idea about what Artemis' plan was ; but they knew the fairies were not going to like it. At all.

Plop :-D

Wow, my, what a chapter, quite long but one of the funniest ones to write so far ! I hope you all enjoyed it !

So, what did you think of little Selene, our new character, and her first encounter with her (metaphorically speaking) father ? :-D This chapter was entirely revolving around her, she won't always be such a major part of the plot in the next ones, but she'll definitely be there :-) I won't say that I love her (quite obvious, she's my OC) but I hope she was enjoyable to read for you ^^ And meanwhile, Artemis' state keeps and keeps on deteriorating, as the story moves forward... The little scene with Angeline broke my heart while I was writing it :-'( But I've warned you : this is no fluff story... and this is just the beginning.

Next chapter, we are with the fairies ; and without spoilers, they're not gonna have a good time ^^'

Feel very very free to review ! And see you next week, as always :-)