Author's Note : Hellow people ! :D
First of all an ENORMOUS thank you to HartemisShipper, KiaSunrise, LN, DarthDestroyer2, Rival Argentica and kauppafanit for their feedbacks on Database 10 ! The first time one of my chapters gets six reviews, that's history ! Thank you so much guys, and to the new people who favorited and followed the story :-3
So now, about this chapter. Remember how last time, I told you I had to cut Database 10 in half because it was far from finished and approaching 25 pages ?
... this chapter is 21 pages and 11k words long :-D
Ahem. I've wondered if I should divide it or not, if I should delete some parts... but I just like it the way it is, so here we go for the longest chapter of the story ! A real TON of things happen, so you'll understand why it's this long, and I hope you'll enjoy it ! :-D
TRIGGER WARNING THOUGH : this chapter contains some scene that might disturb you, if you're a sensitive person. The action is brutal, but mostly suggested, so everyone should be fine ; but I just though it was better to warn you.
Also, I usually recommand listening to the Neon Demon soundtrack while reading ; for the later parts of the chapter, if you're interested, I suggest you to listen to 'Don't Forget Me When You're Famous' and 'Gold Paint Shoot' (still from the movie's OST). I was listening to these tracks on repeat while I wrote the chapter's ending, and it just fits the mood so well.
Here we go now ! :-)
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 full OST 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 #11 : Circuit Breaker
POLICE PLAZA, HAVEN CITY
Julius Root, Commander of the LEPrecon unit, had been an officer for a little bit less than six hundred years.
He had prevented psychopatic Mudmen from discovering the fairies, witnessed times of heavy political troubles and seen Haven at the brink of downfall on more occasions than he could count. Since the Artemis Fowl incidents and the eponymous criminal mastermind's mindwipe, the old elf, with this half-millennial experience, really was persuaded that he wouldn't ever be surprised or see the People seriously endangered by humans again – and was pretty satisfied with this assumption.
Yet, after merely three and a half months of peace, the Irish boy had just proved him wrong. Quite spectacularly. And that certainly wasn't to improve Root's mood.
Even worse : with the growing lack of oxygen caused by the depressurization, he couldn't even smoke one of his fungus cigars to calm himself down. But that was merely an inconvenience.
Root was much more preoccupied with the Fairy Council.
Since Artemis Fowl's unexpected intervention in the middle of the War Council session, fifteen hours ago, the seven fairy politicians had been completely secretive and withdrawn – even Raine Vinyaya. They had dismissed Root and Holly unceremoniously, and began plotting behind closed doors, not even sharing the exact nature of Artemis' sketches.
Root raised his head. Hidden under a massive tarpaulin, the young Fowl's "command" had been placed right at the center of the Police Plaza by the Koboi Laboratories technicians. An antenna, a bomb, a rocket, or maybe even an uncanny weapon of the Mudboy's own design : it was impossible to tell. The LEP Commander only held two things for certain : first, he had an extremely bad feeling about this… thing ; and two…
… it was huge.
About seven feet tall. Given the fact that the average fairy height revolves around three and a half feet, that was more than just overproportioned. That was totally gigantic.
Instinctively, Root took a small step back, away from the thing and the ominous, bleak shadow it casted on the Plaza's paving stones. Maybe it was just oxygen deprivation, but it seemed as if the thing, even concealed, inspired so much fear and apprehension that everyone had just forgotten to panic.
There was a massive crowd, though ; almost the entire city's population had started gathering at the Plaza, when the news had spread that the Council was preparing something. They came looking for answers, but only to be met with the entire LEPRecon and LEPRetrieval brigades, armed and in a tight circle formation, preventing them from approaching the Council members and Artemis' thing.
Normally, there would have been rumors, claims, whispers, maybe even a riot. But everyone was just dead silent. Most of the children and older fairies had seated or even laid down, breathing loudly. The single, smallest effort was painful and made even the most trained soldiers dizzy.
He would have never believed it, if anyone had told him that he would come to have such thoughts ; but Root realized he would have preferred a riot to this heavy, gut-wrenching silence.
Holly, holding her position among her Recon and Retrieval colleagues, turned her head towards the Commander, and formulated a silent question : "What are they saying ?"
Root grimaced, but he could only give her an uncertain shrug. He was standing only a few meters away from the tarpaulin, the LEP Headquarters behind him and the six Fairy Council members gathered on his right – Markos, due to his age, had been sent to Argon's clinic to be bedridden. The six fairies held Gabion's digital tablet, and they were discussing vividly ; but their voices were too low for the old elf to understand what they were talking about.
Yet, judging from their worried tone and the anxiousness on their faces, he could guess that something was wrong.
The Commander clenched his fists, and felt an usual wave of warmth on his face as his complexion started to turn red.
Whatever the Council was thinking, they were doing more harm than good by withholding information like this. Maintaining their actual intentions foggy only gave Artemis more leeway to instillate doubt and discord among the People. Root remembered the Mudboy well, and he could easily guess that this was exactly his goal.
That's enough. They'll talk, whether they like it or not. I'm the D'Arviting Commander, for Frond's sake ! I should be aware of their plans ! If not, how am I supposed to lead my troops correctly ?
The old elf went straight to the Council members, ignoring the dizziness whiplashing in his brain at the sudden move. Hamon turned to him with a disapprobating frown, and whispered furiously, his eyes jumping around to make sure the citizens hadn't noticed anything.
" Commander, this is a private discussion and… "
" Private discussion my arse ", Root cut in the same tone, though much less ceremoniously. " In case you haven't noticed, these are my troops protecting you right now from those innocent citizens. It would be much appreciated if you stopped maintaining us in the shadows and actually explained what the hell is going on. "
The Council members exchanged a look, and Vinyaya eventually spoke.
" We have settled everything down, exactly the way Fowl wanted. We're waiting for him to contact us back, as he said he would… but he still hasn't. That's ten minutes late, now. "
Root swallowed, his anger vanishing instantly. Artemis Fowl wasn't the kind of person to be late – especially not at something this important. Especially not when there were lives at stake.
Had the young boy really changed that much ? What had they done to him ?
" … Could you at least tell me what this giant thing is about ? ", the Commander eventually asked. " Is it… a weapon ? "
The six fairies shook their head negatively, but they didn't explain more either. Root frowned. At the mention of Artemis' command, they had all looked down, even Kall and Vinyaya. There was something in their contracted expression that puzzled the Commander.
Was it… shame ?
Before he could pursue his investigation further, Gabion's tablet beeped. Immediately, the Council members gathered back around him, panting in apprehension and from the physical effort.
As they read, their faces became livid.
Root approached, and managed to read the young Fowl's e-mail upside down.
– You must remove the tarpaulin. Otherwise, I won't cancel the depressurization.
Kall seemed on the verge of exploding.
" That little scum. I'm going to murder him with my bare hands. How can we allow a thirteen-year-old human child to play with us like that ?! "
" Maybe because he has the power to threaten an entire civilization, and we don't ", Vinyaya replied coldly. " There isn't much of a choice here. We must do what he tells us, period. "
" But… "
" I know submission is a new concept to you, Kall ", the black-haired elf pursued louder, " but for once, you'll just shut your damn mouth before you get all of us killed. Understood ? "
The former LEP Commander's jaw fell in shock, and Vinyaya left, rolling her eyes, before he got a chance to reply. She headed for the Koboi Labs technicians, to give them instructions.
Cahartez, on the other hand, had started sweating.
" Root ", he said in a blank voice, " you might warn your soldiers to reinforce their positions. I doubt our citizens will be glad at what they are going to see. "
The Commander felt his heart drop, but obeyed. This was becoming more and more unsettling, and he hated that feeling.
As he gave his orders to the higher ranked officers, and let them spread the word, the Koboi technicians gathered around the thing, each one of them grabbing a portion of tarpaulin. At the sudden agitation, the citizens awoke from their lethargy, and pressed against the LEP officers barrier, straightening their necks or mounting on their tiptoes, trying to see what was happening.
And then, without a warning, the Koboi technicians pulled the tarpaulin with all their weight, and the massive cloth fell heavily, as if in slow-motion, revealing the thing underneath.
.
Root had imagined a lot of things, as to what Artemis might ask from the Fairy Council. But he was miles away from the truth.
It wasn't a weapon. Nor an antenna.
It was a sculpture.
An Artemis Fowl sculpture. Looking down at them, with the same smug, insolent expression that seemed to be engraved in the Mudboy's genetic code.
There weren't many flourishes in the pose, texture or realistic style ; it was merely Artemis, sculpted in 3D-printed bronze, in his signature Armani suit and Gucci moccassins, staring at the fairies below him with a victorious smile. But the sculpture was much taller than its model – the scaling ratio was close to 2:1 ; and despite its simplicity, the piece conveyed a feeling of extreme discomfort amongst the fairies.
After a few seconds, Root managed to put the right words on the uncanny aura emitted by the sculpture's bronze eyes.
Power. Megalomania. Lust for domination.
With a flinch in the heart, the Commander realized that it was exactly what an Opal Koboi statue would feel like ; and despite the dire situation, he couldn't help but wonder ; when the poor kid had fell so low ?
For the first few moments, after the sculpture was revealed, there was no reaction from the crowd, other than sheer astonishment.
The LEP officers themselves wavered from their defense formation, their eyes wide open in shock. As for the Fairy Council, they did their best at saving face, but they just couldn't hide the embarrassment in their eyes.
The silence was so thick, you could have heard a goblin think.
It took everyone a moment, to realize they were able to breathe normally. The depressurization had stopped.
Root didn't manage to see where the first insult came from. But it resonated, from the massive stalacmites pinned with blank plasma screens – usually displaying commercials and advertisements –, right up to the solar tubes, glowing with orange light, at the upper limit of the natural cavity hosting the fairy capital.
And then, the heavy, baffled silence was replaced by a thunder of furious screams and a torrent of cursing. That was to be expected, of course. But as he himself started yelling – towards his officers, so they would start using their buzzbatons instead of looking alternatively at the sculpture and the infuriated citizens with a dumb face –, Root realized something.
Haven City's inhabitants weren't paying any attention to the sculpture anymore. They weren't mocking its grandiloquence or the Mudboy's outrage.
Their fury was directed at the Fairy Council.
And just then, Root understood how Artemis' plan was clever.
The sculpture wasn't, as his first impression had led him to believe, a childish and ridiculous whim. If Artemis had wanted a statue at his image to satisfy his inflated ego, he would have printed it himself – it wasn't as if the Wired didn't gave him that kind of power. But Artemis didn't care one bit about making a sculpture.
He wanted the Fairy Council to make it for him. And that made a huge difference.
For now, the political leaders of Haven were forced to take all the credit for the Mudboy sculpture on Police Plaza. And, as they had desperately tried to keep it secret, avoid collective panic and arise no doubts, they had only worsened their case, and appeared even more like manipulative traitors to the eyes of the fairy citizens.
They were the ones who were humiliated, and ridiculed.
This is freaking brilliant, Root muttered to himself. The crowd's trust in their leaders is already shattered. The only thing Artemis has to do now is a final kick in the nest, and that's it. He owns us.
Suddenly, as if the Commander's thoughts had been heard by the fairies' arch-nemesis, the general fury turned into a deathly silence.
For a voice had started to speak.
.
A cold voice, raw and relentless as winter. A voice that spoke Gnommish with an accent that no fairy recognized as their own ; a voice that couldn't have belonged to any being below ground.
A human voice.
It arose from the entire set of the city's public loudspeakers, with a massive amount of Glitches – more than ever recorded before – violently distorting the very shape of reality itself around them, in a cloud of erratic pixels ; blurring simultaneously the sight and hearing of the entire people of Haven, and pulsing right through their cores, as if they were standing next to a subwoofer.
It was Artemis Fowl's voice, plural and disembodied, that resonated across the city, covering the terrified screams that started to arise.
" Fairies ", he said. " Elves, pixies, gnomes, sprites, dwarves, goblins, centaurs. I am Artemis Fowl the Second, and I am responsible of the siege you are currently enduring. I have held you by the throat for several hours – quite literally – ; and now, thanks to your Counselors' generous support, I am throning right here, before you ! "
The young Fowl chuckled, making all the fairies take an instinctive step back. The nightmarish sound of his dry laugh reverberated up from the paving stones of Police Plaza, to the furthest suburbs of Haven ; like ripples on a peaceful lake's surface, disturbed by the impact of a dense, heavy object.
" I have defeated all your defences, one by one : the centaur Foaly, your lockdown procedure, your LEPs and their corrupt Fairy Council. " Artemis pursued, his tone more and more serious. " Henceforth… You are entirely at my mercy. I could kill you all right now, standing on your feet. I could have Haven City obliterated, by simply snapping my fingers. … but I have better plans for you. I'd rather leave you an… opportunity to make up for what the People has done to me, when the power balance was inclined in your favor. "
Root and the six Council members exchanged a look, but they wouldn't allow themselves to hope for any actual kind gesture from the young Fowl. As for the crowd, they remained silent, waiting with apprehension.
Eventually, Artemis Fowl spoke again, and each one of his words was sipping with pure hatred.
" Since he is responsible for betraying me, treating me as an enemy and erasing my memories, I demand Commander Julius Root to answer for these actions, in the entire People's name. Since he has declared war to me, he, and he alone, will have the choice to implore me for mercy, for all of you. "
The old elf gasped under the shock, breathless. His officers themselves couldn't believe their pointy ears.
Out of every fairy in Haven, Artemis Fowl was asking Julius Root to crawl at his feet and pray for forgiveness ? Was the boy completely out of his mind ?!
But Artemis wasn't finished. And as he continued, the elfin Commander forgot all about his rising anger, and felt a cold shiver running down his spine.
" However… from what exactly, will Julius Root have to beg me from sparing you ? "
All the stalagmites' plasma screens switched on simultaneously in a magma of heavy Glitching. On some of them, a computer loading bar, already at 4 % ; on the others, the map of a building, which dangerously looked like a prison, containing an even more dangerous number of red cells.
" Here is your choice, Commander. " Artemis said, his voice echoing triumphantly. " The loading bar indicates the uploading percentage of a file, on the human Internet. A copy of the Book, to be more specific. In about seven minutes, it will go public for everyone above ground… unless you ask me for mercy, of course. Yet, in the same time, I have just deactived the central security system of Deeps Maximum Security Prison. Most notably, the front gate. From now on, and every minute, I will free ten random prisoners from their cells, and release them on Atlantis. "
Just as the young Fowl finished his sentence, ten of the red cells on the map turned grey. Root started sweating, horrified.
Even though he couldn't see it, the old Commander could feel Artemis Fowl's lips stretching into his infamous vampire grin.
" How many of these prisoners have you incarcerated yourself, in your opinion ? One hundred ? Two hundreds ? Anyhow. I doubt that with your reputation, your brother, the fallen captain Turnball Root, can survive very long to the other inmates… don't you think, Commander? The choice is up to you : the Book, or the work of an entire lifetime ? The People… or your family ? "
Artemis allowed the two options of this impossible choice to sink into every fairy present, before he concluded, his cold voice vibrating with sarcasm and sadistic anticipation :
" I suggest you don't waste time, Commander. It is running against you… "
The loading bar indicated 10 %.
His face exsanguine, Root suddenly noticed that all the Council members and citizens of Haven were staring at him. Despite his usually undisturbable steadiness, the Commander felt his legs go weak, and gathered all of his mental strength not to flinch. There were already people yelling, across the LEP officers bareer – asking him to preserve their existence's secret.
" Choose the Book ! Choose the Book ! "
Root clenched his fists to hide his shaking hands, and started thinking, trying desperately to calm himself down and figure out what was Artemis' plan. But suddenly, Cahartez stepped out of the sculpture's shadow, and yelled, facing the nearest loudspeaker.
" Young man, this is ridiculous ! "
Much to his surprise, the gnome's outraged and falsely assured voice was relayed in the city's loudspeakers, and everyone noticed that the largest plasma screen now broadcasted, live, the small group of Haven's fairy leaders, on Police Plaza.
To his credit, Cahartez did an outstanding effort at keeping his composure straight when seeing his worried face and balding head on screen. He even managed to spot the surveillance camera that transmitted the video, and granted it with a fierce look.
" It is my duty to make this choice, and to the Fairy Council to confirm it or not ! ", the old gnome yelled. " Commander Root is merely an executive, and it is not his position to take a decision that could impact our city's entire future ! "
For a split second, Holly, still trying to maintain her position despite the crowd's growing anxiety, caught herself feeling proud of Cahartez's attempt at defying their human torturer.
But that emotion was to be very ephemeral.
" I am still in charge here ", Cahartez said pompously, " and as the Council Chairman, I hereby demand you to… "
" You have nothing to demand of me, Cahartez. "
The young Fowl's tone was so threatening that the poor gnome almost fainted. Hamon did, however. But no one really noticed.
" I have already offered you a chance to behave like a reasonable governer. " Artemis continued contemptuously. " And you have preferred to flee your responsabilities and cover your mistake, instead of taking charge of the situation. "
The Chairman narrowed his eyes for a second ; then, his face turned livid.
" … No ! Don't ! " he screamed, horrified.
But through the loudspeakers, the slammering of a keyboard could already be heard. Then, on all the plasma screens, a duplicate of an e-mail, dated from yesterday, appeared. The attached file opened itself, and Root, Holly and the five other Council members' eyes widened in stupor.
The attached file was a tab. Retracing Foaly's navigating history on the Wired, with dates, duration and purposes of each visit as supporting evidence.
According to the document, Foaly had logged on the Wired more than six thousands one hundred and thirty-five times. Since he had sworn on his Book not to, eighty years ago.
The numbers and descriptions displayed on the document were gibberish to most of the fairies ; but Artemis wouldn't let such precious informations go unexplained. As he spoke, there was an hint of his old lecturing tone in his voice, making both Holly and Root's hearts tighten.
" This is the evidence that Foaly, the paranoid centaur who is the creator of Haven's entire protection and security systems, has abused of his position for almost a century, to monitor illegally anyone who had the nerve to arise his suspicion. Humans like me of course, but mostly… fairies like you. "
Now they had a better understanding of the document, all the fairies could indeed see that Artemis wasn't lying : Foaly had used the Wired to spy the People. The truth is, he mostly stalked Opal Koboi, but that subtlety was lost to most of them.
Cahartez, on the other hand, was petrified, and it seemed pretty clear to everyone that he was shameful and gut-wrenched the way only a true guilty person is.
Of course, the young Fowl took advantage of that.
" Chairman Cahartez has been given this list about fifteen hours ago, if I recall correctly ; but it seems as if he didn't see it fit to share it with anyone. He didn't have Foaly condemned immediately either. Instead, he protected him, lying to the very face of his fellow counselors. "
Artemis' voice was grave, but somehow, it didn't lack majesty. Actually, in his emphatic tone and perfect diction, there was the fabric and spirit of a true political leader.
" Fairies ! You can now see the duplicity of your governors ! When I offer them a choice, immediately they try to make it without you ; when I ask them for justice among your ranks, their secrets and personal interests come first ! Former Chairman Cahartez is a traitor to your cause. I refuse to treat with him. "
Suddenly, the loading bar jumped at 23 %. At the same time, ten other cells, on Atlantis prison's map, turned grey. But one of them Glitched.
" Uh-oh… " Artemis said, amused. " Wasn't that your dear brother's cell, Commander ? "
Normally, Root would have found himself at the verge of a heart attack. But oddly, he wasn't.
Even if he had wanted to answer this excruciating Mudboy with insults that would have made a swear toad cringe, he was purely unable to speak.
Across the Police Plaza, the screaming intensified among the crowd, the voices becoming more and more desperate.
Then more and more furious.
" D'Arvit ! Choose the Book ! "
" Do something ! "
" Turnball Root is a scumbag ! Forget him ! The Book ! "
" Choose the Book ! "
" Do something ! "
" My mother lives in Atlantis ! Please ! "
" The Book ! The Book ! "
" Mudmen will kill us ! I don't want to die ! "
" Screw Atlantis ! Choose the Book ! "
" SAY SOMETHING ! "
A shoe was thrown. It landed a good three feet away from Root, but it was the spark that lit the growing fear within the fairies, and made it catch fire.
In less than ten seconds, the Police Plaza had turned into a battlefield : Neutrino beams flashing around, civilian and LEP sprites fighting in mid-air, children crying and buzzbatons crushing various bones, as the population tried to break through the LEP officers' barrier and get to their political leaders.
The chaos was so absolute that nobody noticed that said Council members had vanished, along with Julius Root and a certain elfin Captain.
.
The entrance door of the LEP Headquarters closed itself with a reassuring, heavy sound, and Vinyaya immediately fell on the ground, dropping Hamon's still unconscious body that she had carried all the way from the sculpture. There was no one else there ; except the receptionist droid, switched off, who stared down at them with its empty eyes.
But before anyone could say anything, Holly turned to Root, and stared deeply into his eyes.
" Artemis will never reveal the People's existence ", she said firmly. " Even back when he had his memories, he had countless opportunities to throw us into the hands of Mudmen, and he never did. He even helped us, when he accidentally leaked our surveillance system to Jon Spiro. "
" In case you haven't noticed, Captain Short, this isn't exactly the same Artemis Fowl as from a few months ago ", Lope cut, his tone dripping with poison. " He has kinda switched from abducting people for ransom to death threats and war declarations. "
Holly made a huge effort not to punch the Council member's face.
" Just think about it for two seconds ! " … you moron, she added in her head. " Why would he give up on this advantage he has upon us ? It's far more interesting for him to exploit us, rather than delivering us to the humans. Uploading the Book online just makes no sense, in Artemis' logic. "
Root shook his head, his gaze lost.
" Maybe it makes no sense, but if there is something I know about Artemis Fowl, it's that he never bluffs. If he threatens to upload the Book online, then he is uploading the Book online. "
The Commander's declaration brought back a tense silence among the small group of fairies. Even through the LEP Headquarters' reinforced door, they could hear the uprising on the Plaza, a few feet away.
All gazes turned towards Cahartez. Gabion clenched his fists, and spat at the Chairman's boots.
" You D'Arviting idiot ", he snorted. " What the hell were you thinking ? Now, the citizens will never trust us anymore ! "
" Insulting me won't do any good ! " Cahartez replied, suddenly furious. " I just thought the information was irrelevant, as this wasn't Foaly's trial but a War Council session where we had to decide what to do in order to protect our city ! "
" And since when do you decide when the Wired is irrelevant or not ?! " Lope intervened, completely shocked. " This isn't just about being over-paranoid or smuggling carrots into the LEP Headquarters ! "
" Oh, and what difference does it make ? We are screwed anyway ! "
" You are screwed ! " retorted Gabion. " I think everyone here agrees that you are destituted of your Chairman position ! "
Cahartez threw his conical hat at his rival's face.
" With great pleasure ! You want to take it, maybe ? Didn't you just say that the citizens will never trust us anymore ?! Or maybe you think that they'll still like you because you are a ridiculous hippie with grandeur delusions ? "
Root watched Gabion, Cahartez and Lope continue their fightning, utterly appalled.
Artemis had succeeded. He had turned every Fairy Council member against each other.
But he suddenly realized that Vinyaya and, surprinsingly, Kall, weren't arguing with the others. They had gathered around him, along with Holly.
" You don't have much time to make your decision, Julius ", Kall said, his tone serious but devoid of any hostility. " The three of us are strategists, and Captain Short here has the best understanding of this Fowl kid's motivations. Let's figure this out. "
Root started feeling a little better, and nodded.
" What are your opinions ? " he asked to the three elves before him.
" Choose Atlantis ", said Holly.
" Hold on to your honour, and don't bend your knee to this little brat, whatever it takes ", said Kall.
" I have no D'Arviting idea ", said Vinyaya.
They all looked at each other, frowning. Root sighed, not even able to be angry anymore.
" I've already told you my opinion about the Book option ", Holly hammered. " Whether he usually bluffs or not, it is just not Artemis' best interest to put this threat into effect. "
" I'm concerned with the fact he actually leaves us the possibility to choose ", Vinyaya replied, " as he can totally inflicts both sanctions at the same time, if he wants to. "
" You didn't understand, Raine ", Kall explained. " He doesn't want to punish us. He wants to humiliate us. The threats were only here to provoke a mass riot. Now, we are forced to calm everyone down, either by sacrificing Atlantis and its criminals… or the entire People. Except these choices are nothing but a bluff. "
Root shook his head again.
" I've told you already. Artemis doesn't do bluffs. He never makes baseless claims – mostly because he makes sure that nothing he says can be misinterpreted. "
And then, suddenly, the Commander understood.
" Artemis doesn't want to humiliate us ", he whispered. " He wants to humiliate me. And me only. "
The three elves' eyes widened as the realization hit them.
" You didn't spell the choice correctly, Kall. " Root added somberly. " I have two options : sacrificing my brother and plunging Atlantis into chaos… or save them, which is the option that Artemis has presented as my personal interest. And thus, I decredibilize myself in front of the entire People. This is why he gave the choice to me and not anyone else. He wants me to lick the ground at his feet, and drag my own name in the mud. "
Root's eyes were filled with determination.
" I have to choose Atlantis. I agree with Holly : I don't believe Artemis is willing to give up on the opportunity to torture us, by revealing the People's existence, just for the sake of humiliating me. On the other hand, he wants me to suffer. This is why the Atlantis option seems like the less rational and the most selfish ; and this is also why I must take it. This is the only real choice. "
The old elf turned around, and went to stand by the tainted window. The loading bar indicated 79 %, and there had been two more criminal releases in Atlantis. Root sighed, and realized he had never been calmer in his entire life.
Holly, even if she was relieved and proud that her Commander acknowledged her judgment, couldn't help but bit her lower lip.
" Commander… Are you sure this is really a good idea ? We have already lost Foaly. Without you… "
Root raised his hand, and Holly immediately silenced.
" Haven is more important than me or my pride, Captain ", he replied calmly. " If the city survives, then maybe we'll have a chance. Artemis just can't keep winning and being two steps ahead. One moment or another, he'll grow tired, he'll make a mistake. And we'll need valuable officers like you to stand up to him. "
Holly's heart warmed up, and she was so happy she almost didn't hear the Commander's last sentence.
" That's why you must stay in here. "
Before she even processed what he had said, Julius Root had opened the Headquarters' entrance door, and closed it behind him.
Holly felt blood withdrewing from her face, and she rushed to the door, quickly followed by Kall and Vinyaya. But the Commander had melted the lock with his blaster, and the elfin officer only managed to burn her hand on the doorknob. It reminded her of Fowl Manor, from a long time ago. Except that this time, she was on the wrong side of the door.
Ultimately, Gabion, Lope and Cahartez had realized that something was wrong, and noticed Root's absence. Lope started slapping Hamon's face to wake him up – to no avail –, and everyone else gathered to the entrance hall's tainted windows, their hearts pounding with apprehension.
They watched as Root advanced to stand in the middle of the Police Plaza, and faced the Artemis Fowl sculpture. The uprising had settled down at his appearance, and everyone stared at him, waiting for his choice.
Without a flinch, as dignified as he could be in the situation of begging for the mercy of a thirteen-year-old boy, the Commander kneeled down, his back to the LEP Headquarters. Then, he bowed, his head facing the ground. Holly's heart ached so much, that she had to close her eyes, and look away. Seeing Root in this position was just too painful.
You will pay for this, Artemis. I'll make you pay. Personally.
With the thick door and the distance, they couldn't hear what the elfin Commander said ; but according to the scandalized expressions on the citizens' faces, he had held onto his decision, and chosen to save Atlantis.
Holly looked at the plasma screens, and the ones displaying Deeps Maximum Security Prison's map turned black. She sighed with relief ; with a little bit of luck, the LEPmarine forces of Atlantis would be able to contain the massive escape, and there wouldn't be too much damage done.
However, she noticed something that was much less reassuring.
The loading bar kept on charging. It was at 98 %.
Outside, the uprising had turned into a scene of mass hysteria. Holly's colleagues, even if they fought the best they could, were outnumbered by Haven's citizens, and the noose tightened around the sculpture, and Root. The Commander had gotten up to his feet, and pulled his tri-barreled blaster, when the loading bar reached 100 %.
First, Holly thought that nothing had happened. But then, she heard something. A buzzing.
A low, menacing buzzing. It took Holly a few seconds to recognize it.
It was the DNA cannons activating themselves.
The elfin Captain barely had the time to start screaming in horror ; then, everybody outside of the LEP Headquarters collapsed, struck by invisible beams. The silence that followed was so atrocious, so unuterrable that it still haunted Holly's nightmares, several months later.
There was only her, and the five remaining members of the Fairy Council left.
" Now, we can start talking. "
.
Everyone jumped, and turned towards the reception desk, behind them. All the lights had switched back on, blurring their vision for a few seconds. Then, they noticed the receptionist droid, who crossed its fingers under its chin, a complacent smile plastered on its biosynthetic face.
After the initial shock, Gabion clenched his fists, and started yelling, tears rolling down his cheeks.
" You murderer ! We have done everything you want ! Why did you do that ?! "
The droid shrugged, Glitching slightly in the process. Its voice was fake and neutral, but the underlying despise in the tone was unmistakable.
" I have another demand for you. "
This statement was granted with a baffled silence.
" … You do realize that this can't go on forever, Fowl ? " Vinyaya intervened. " You've just released about fourty extremely dangerous criminals on Atlantis, manipulated Haven, leaked the Book online, humiliated Root and the Fairy Council, and… knocked everyone out, if you didn't straightforwardly kill them. Isn't that enough already ? "
The droid's smile widened.
" I'm the one who decides when I'm satisfied enough. For now, you're doing fine, but you should keep on following my orders, little fairies ; otherwise, I might grow bored. Or worse : irritated. I was in a rather good mood so far – do you really want to try me ? "
Vinyaya's jaw clenched, but she remained silent.
" Excellent ", the droid stated, almost happily. " Now. I've read carefully the official LEP files and reports concerning me ; and it seems that there is one last thing that you owe me. When I first abducted Captain Short here, two years ago, you paid a ransom. A ton of gold, twenty-four carats. But eventually, you kept half of it for yourself. "
The Council members exchanged the look.
" Before you ask, yes, I'm aware that a small part of it has been stolen ", the droid continued. " But that doesn't matter. I had played by your rules, and you've snatched the gold I had rightfully deserved. Let me be straightforward. I want it back. "
The droid paused, but the six politician fairies were too stunned to reply.
" I've activated a shuttle, already set for departure in Chute E1 ", the droid then resumed victoriously. " I require Captain Holly Short to pilot it, and deliver the gold to Tara. Let me give you a fair warning though : any inappropriate attempt at playing a dirty trick on me, and I'll have no hesitation at turning off the shuttle's engine in mid-course. I doubt that a free fall straight to the earth's core is exactly the way you'd want to die, Captain Short ? "
Holly didn't have to reply. The question was purely rhetorical, and her nauseous expression indicated how she felt about picturing her shuttle crushing on hot lava while she was powerlessly trapped inside.
" According to my estimations ", the droid pursued coldly, " if you gather the gold immediately and leave straight afterward, you should arrive in Tara by five a.m. Don't be late, or else… I'll be irritated. "
Before the fairies could begin to formulate a retort, the droid's purple eyes lit off, and its arms fell back to their initial position, deprived of electricity. Simultaneously, something exploded in the entrance door's automatical locking system, and it flung open with a soft purr.
Immediately, Vinyaya turned to Holly, and grabbed her shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes.
" Holly. The battle is about completely lost, already ; but you might be the only fairy with a real shot at stopping Artemis Fowl. Whatever the cost is… you must take it. Do something. "
Holly nodded, her lips sealed. Then, she backed out of Vinyaya's grip, and ventured outside the LEP Headquarters, without a look back.
Her first move was to rush by Commander Root's side ; and when she kneeled down beside him, she let out a relieved sight.
He was still breathing. He was alive. Unconscious, but alive. Just as everyone else.
The elfin Captain stood up, a newfound fierceness in her eyes. As she headed towards Haven's shuttle port, she brought her hand to her heart.
Holding firmly, in her closed fist, Artemis' minidisk.
TARA, IRELAND, THREE HOURS LATER
The Fowl's Bentley was parked on the hill of Tara, a few feet away from the fairy shuttle port's hidden entrance. The car's headlights were casting two rays of white light before them, making it seem as if the snow, covering everything around, was glimmering.
Butler didn't pay any attention to the beautiful scenery, though ; his large hands deeply buried in his coat's pockets, he paced around the Bentley, lost in his thoughts.
Artemis wasn't here with him : the young boy had stayed at the Manor to rest, while his bodyguard assured the transaction in his name. The instructions were pretty simple : take the gold, and the fairy.
Butler sighed. He had followed the entire siege, once again ; and he realized that this new traitrous move from his charge didn't even shock him anymore. It only bothered him to know that he might have to knock the fairy out, if she resisted.
The more his principle's plot advanced, the more Butler found himself actually rooting for the People.
Whatever they had done to him, they didn't deserve Artemis' wrath. Neither did Selene, or Artemis Senior.
The thought of his charge's father made the manservant shiver. He had found him in the entrance hall, after he had locked Selene in the music room. The man was lying on the floor, freezing and almost catatonic ; Artemis nowhere to be seen. After he had taken the elder Fowl up to his bedroom, Butler had tried interrogating the young one about what happened. But Artemis never replied.
Despite the fact that he was six feet tall, the bodyguard suddenly felt very small and helpless.
Selene was out, and Artemis had brushed his parents off the picture as soon as they had started to try and stop him. There was still Juliet who might help, but Butler wouldn't ever dare dragging anyone else on this. He didn't want to risk his charge doing any more damage ; especially to his only loved ones.
Butler closed his steel-gray eyes, his heart sinking. He was all alone. Truly, completely alone.
" … Butler ? "
The manservant opened his eyes, and turned around. Before him, a fairy, child-sized but with a grown woman's features, removed her helmet, and gave him a weak smile.
" You don't recognize me ", she said, " but it's a long time no see. "
Butler nodded.
" I know. Artemis explained. "
He didn't want to say that he had witnessed all the suffering the young Fowl had put the fairies through. He felt too guilty that he had never intervened.
But Holly spoke again, withdrawing him from his dark thoughts.
" I've brought the gold, it's in the shuttle. You can check, but I'm unarmed. I've left my weapons in Haven. "
" Why ? " the bodyguard asked, puzzled for a second ; then it clicked. " … Oh. Artemis could turn them against you. "
But to his surprise, Holly shook her head negatively.
" Well, he could, but that's not the reason. The truth is, I knew he would send you. And… I also know that you don't approve what he's doing. I trust you. "
Butler didn't respond, taken aback. That didn't exactly match Artemis' depiction of "cruel, relentless creatures who had manipulated them".
The elf raised her hand, and the manservant immediately pulled his Sig Sauer out. But Holly only opened her fist, revealing a small, golden medallion in her palm.
… a coin ?
Not a coin. A disk.
Butler lowered his gun. Somehow, the little jewelry tickled his brain. It reminded him of something.
" I guess Artemis wants you to abduct me with the gold ", the LEP Captain said, softly. " I'll comply to whatever you tell me to. But first, please… watch this. I beg you. "
Almost instinctively, the manservant obeyed. He took the minidisk, and went to the Bentley. On the passenger seat, there was a laptop. He switched it on, and inserted the minidisk in the device. A new tab opened, with two folders only – "Artemis" and "Butler". The bodyguard clicked on his folder, and a list of several text and video files appeared ; including one entitled "Watch me first".
.
Butler watched the video.
For the first few seconds, he didn't even paid attention to what the boy was saying. Seeing his principal, pale as always but truly healthy looking, his ocean blue eyes not tainted in red and his cheeks not sunken, made Butler's heart burn, and his eyes watered.
He just missed his charge so much.
And then, the Artemis from the video leaned forward.
– Your name, old friend, he said, is Domovoï.
The bodyguard's eyes widened. He couldn't believe his own ears.
There was no way Artemis would know his first name. Never, ever, would Butler tell him. Unless…
… Unless.
And suddenly, as if they had always been there in the back of his brain, waiting to be restored, Butler's memories stormed back in his mind ; boiling with unraveled emotions, and clear as crystal.
.
Holly, not wanting to interfere in the process of the recovery, stood outside the car, respectfully, waiting for the manservant to watch his video.
She couldn't see him through the tainted windows of the Bentley, and she found herself hoping that the minidisk actually contained Butler's memories, as she thought it did. If not, she would look really stupid.
But then, the Bentley's rear door opened, and as she saw the large Mudman's face covered in tears, she knew she had guessed right.
Butler stepped out of the car, and bent down on his knees, to draw Holly in a tight embrace.
" Long time no see… " he murmured, his voice filled with emotions.
Holly hugged him back, warmly.
" I missed you, big man. "
The manservant let her go, and as he looked straight in her eyes, the elfin Captain realized she had never seen him so guilt-ridden.
" I'm sorry, Holly. I'm so sorry ", he said. " For everything Artemis has done to you, and to the People. I should have stopped him, but… the time I realized how serious the threat was, it was too late. The situation is completely out of control. "
Overwhelmed, he had to stop for a second.
" He thinks you betrayed him. He believes you are monsters. "
Holly looked down. Somehow, Artemis' reasoning didn't surprise her.
" … Maybe he's a bit right ", she replied, quietly. " None of this would have happened, if we hadn't mindwiped him. If we hadn't distrusted him, just as he was starting to become a better person. … We broke him. We have destroyed his entire moral and mental evolution of the past two years, and now, he just wants us to pay for it. Maybe the People is only getting what it deserves. "
Butler didn't respond. There wasn't much more to say.
The elf and the bodyguard exchanged a look. The next unavoidable question hovered above them, unspoken. Holly finally said it out loud.
" … Do you think there is anything left we can do ? "
Butler shrugged, utterly despondent.
" I don't know. Artemis has become completely obsessed with his revenge plan, if not irretrievably insane. I barely manage to reach out to him, and he's slipping further away each day. As long as he has the Wired, he's unreachable ; and he never gave you any actual opportunity of thwarting his plans. Each one of his moves against the People was checkmate after checkmate. And if we try to put ourselves in his way… well, Selene and his parents have tried. … they failed. "
Holly swallowed. Portrayed like this, the situation really felt more than bleak. But the elf couldn't accept that there was nothing to be done.
She pointed toward the Bentley, where the minidisk was.
" There's still one thing we can do, and that he couldn't have anticipated ", she said. " Give him his memories back. "
Butler hesitated.
" After everything he has just done to all of you ? He'll die out of guilt. "
Holly rolled her eyes, annoyed at the bodyguard's resistance.
" Come on, Butler. Does Artemis even know what guilt means ? "
The manservant's gaze hardened.
" Yes, Holly, he knows. And you have no idea how much. "
The elf took a step back.
" Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Maybe you're right. But do you see any other option ? "
Butler thinked hard, desperately, but nothing else came to his mind.
" I realize how having his memories back might hurt Artemis ", Holly said carefully, " but if we don't at least try, he'll hurt many, many more people. "
The bodyguard looked down, gripping with an atrocious mental dilemma.
" I don't know if I can let you willfully hurt him. I'm supposed to protect him. "
Actually, he had no idea what he was supposed to do anymore. Things had gone so horribly wrong, that he didn't even know if he should protect Artemis from the others who tried to stop him, or help them organize the young Fowl's demise.
" Butler ", Holly insisted, " it would be for his own good. You're afraid he might feel guilty, I understand that, but how do you think he'd feel if he really hurts someone ? He needs us. If he can't let the Wired go, when we have to help him. We have no other choice. "
The fairy's reasoning was flawless. Butler, defeated, let out a half-worried, half-relieved sigh, and crawled through the shuttle port's entrance door, to reach the LEP shuttle and get the gold to the Bentley. He was lost and confused in a way he had never been before in his life ; but for the first time in days, he was starting to see a glimpse of hope at the end of the tunnel.
Holly's plan, if you could only call that a plan, was far from perfect. But at least, they had something.
Maybe there was still a chance to save Artemis.
FOWL MANOR, IRELAND, TWO HOURS LATER
When he had logged himself out of the Wired, right after presenting the fairies with his final request, Artemis had immediately sent Butler to Tara. There was about two to three hours of driving to get to the site ; and he didn't want the bodyguard to be late.
Truthfully, if he was being honest, Artemis knew that Captain Short probably wouldn't dare attempting an escape – and even if she did, he would find her in no time, with the Wired's powers. But with the final steps of his revenge scheme, the young Fowl had taken things to such a tremendous scale, that if anything didn't go as planned…
… he just refused to think about it.
Actually, Artemis had planned to put his few hours of free time before Captain Short's arrival to try to get some proper sleep. But when he went to the bathroom to clean the nosebleeding, as usual, he looked into the mirror.
And there, he found himself unable to move, unable to speak.
For about four hours, Artemis watched his blood streaming, then growing thick and dry on his face and chin. Despite the sickening taste of iron on his lips, he just couldn't clean himself ; he was paralyzed, as if completely mesmerized by the blunt contrast of deep red blood on his sickly pale skin. But pale felt like a poor choice of word.
Artemis stared into his reflection, in the mirror, and for the first time, he realized how ghastly he was.
The young Fowl was truly frightened to see he could barely recognize his own face ; but he just stood there. His mind was sloppy, crippled with migraine and benumbed by the painkillers he had to take, to be able to stand on his feet without collapsing from the pain induced by the Wired side effects. He stood there, the sting in his heart growing wider and wider. Echoing in his skull ruthlessly, were the same cold, cruel words.
His father's last words.
" You'll end up alone, Artemis. Alone, and cursed by anyone who had ever loved you. "
" Alone, Artemis… alone. "
" Alone. "
.
Yet, when Butler arrived, holding a scared and handcuffed Captain Short by her shoulder, Artemis was waiting for them, his face clean and his gaze unreadable. He was standing on the lower steps of the large marble stairs, smirking unsufferably, more powerful and evil-looking than ever.
" Captain Holly Short ", Artemis said, his smile widening. " At last. Welcome back. "
" Hello, Mudboy. " Holly replied.
The elf tried her best to sound respectful, but she just couldn't hide the pain in her voice, from seeing Artemis in such a weak state. She could break him in half only with a flick of the finger.
The young Fowl didn't pay attention to her, though. He turned to Butler, and there was a new maddening, ravenous glow in his reddened eyes.
" The gold ? "
" In the Bentley's trunk ", the manservant replied with a nod.
Artemis' face twisted in a victorious and smug expression.
" Perfect. I assume Captain Short here doesn't have any weapon ? "
" No, she doesn't. "
" Alright. You can go bring Selene a breakfast, then. She must be hungry. "
The bodyguard hesitated, as if he was unsure whether or not he should leave his charge alone with the fairy hostage. But Artemis pulled out his cellphone, and the message was pretty clear : I have the Wired, I'm safe, so get out of my way.
Butler left quickly, leaving Holly and Artemis to stand face to face.
.
There was a strange, awkward silence at first, as they stared at each other ; both sensing that there was something familiar in the other's features, but in the same time feeling that the person in front of them had turned into a complete stranger – even though it was for different reasons.
" … You've changed, Mudboy. " Holly eventually stated.
Artemis narrowed his eyes, and Holly couldn't help but be struck at how destroyed they were. It was worse than the few extreme cases of mesmer abuse she had witnessed in her LEP career. The sclera's blood vessels were exploded, giving the white part of his eyes a sick red shade ; and his pupils were extremely dilated, as if the young Fowl was under the effect of a powerful drug.
The elf's heart tightened. But Artemis' harsh voice brought her back to reality.
" Yes, I've probably changed since you've last seen me, Captain Short. I imagine you did, too ; but how would I know ? I don't remember you. "
Holly looked truly, sincerely guilty.
" I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I should have known it was a mistake to mindwipe you. "
Artemis laughed, coldly.
" It's a bit late to be sorry, Captain Short. Only a bit. "
" What do you want from me, then ? " she asked, too exhausted to be truly angered by the boy's cruelty. " I'm not a politician, a technological genius or an high-ranked LEP officer. I'm only the first fairy that you've ever held captive, a couple years ago. There's nothing I can do, except apologizing for my People's mistakes. "
Artemis smiled.
" That's not true. You can do something else. You can be here. "
Holly frowned.
" Be here ? … But why would you want me here ? "
Artemis didn't reply. He just stared back at her, his features softening slightly. Holly sighed, hardly containing her nervousness.
" Okay. I'm here now, Mudboy. So, what's next ? "
The young Fowl's smile only widened. It wasn't his regular vampiric smile, yet it felt even more uncomfortable. As if Artemis tried to be gentle, but his face's muscles were absolutely untrained to make such moves.
" You're so impatient, Captain Short. But there's no need to be in such a hurry. "
Holly shifted position on her feet, extremely queasy.
" … No offense, Artemis, but you really should stop smiling, it's becoming quite unhealthy. "
The boy raised an eyebrow, surprised. A flash of doubt briefly fogged his gaze, as his brain started running at full speed.
Captain Short was calling him by his first name.
That was odd. They had first met because he had abducted her ; and in the official LEP reports, there was no mention of a case of Stockholm syndrom on her behalf. Artemis couldn't think of any reason why the fairy would call him by his first name. That made no sense.
But on the other hand, the reports stated that she had been a part of the Arctic mission ; that she helped rescuing his father. Suddenly, Artemis felt his heart faltering. Had he and Holly Short been closer than what he had imagined ?
The glimpse of hesitation on the young Fowl's face only lasted less than a second, and he regained his composure almost immediately. But somehow, the elf had noticed that her remark had troubled him.
" Artemis ? Are you alright ? " she asked, sounding truly worried.
Artemis clenched his fists, a wave of panic already rising in his stomach. Bringing Holly to the Manor was the riskiest move in his entire plan, he was aware of that from the beginning. But he didn't think that using the Wired would undermine him and his capabilities so much, and he struggled with the fear of losing control of the situation.
Don't be weak. She has manipulated you before, she isn't an ally. Resume the plan. Don't trust her. Don't trust anyone.
" … The Wired offers so many possibilities ", he finally said, back to his cold, unreadable tone. " I've already explored quite a few, these past days ; but I want the grand finale to be truly gorgeous. I've been pondering over the best apotheosis for some time, and I though you might… help me make my decision. How does that sound ? "
The elf's eyes had widened during his speech, and she no longer seemed worried about him. She seemed horrified.
" … You… you mean this is not over ?! " she stuttered.
" Why, of course not ", Artemis replied, falsely shocked. " Don't tell me you thought so ; that would be highly disappointing. "
" B-but… you've already got everything you wanted ! " Holly exclaimed. " Apologies, humiliation, even your gold ! What else could you do to us ? "
" You lack imagination, Captain Short. "
Holly closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Any feeling of remorse or concern she had for Artemis were completely gone. She just wanted to kick this excruciating kid's butt until he cried and winced for mercy, but she had promised Butler she wouldn't be violent.
" You've leaked the Book online, Artemis. It won't take long until your fellow Mudmen try to dig into the Earth and find us. Even if you've come up with another wicked idea to torture us, you won't be the only human on the case anymore. "
The young Fowl dismissed her point with a negligent waving of the hand.
" Don't play idiots with me, Captain. You know perfectly that I have no intention of sharing my precious fairies with my congeners. "
Holly frowned, confused.
" … So you bluffed ? You didn't leak the Book ? "
Artemis grinned.
" Of course I did. I never bluff. But the copy of the Book I leaked what written in traditional ancient Gnommish ; and it was online for two minutes only. It's already long gone by now, and if anyone did stumble upon it, they wouldn't have understood a single word. "
The LEP Captain was dumbfounded for a second, but the relief of finding out she had been right, that the People's existence hadn't been revealed, was so intense that she chuckled.
" This is D'Arviting brilliant ", she even said, truly sincere. " You're such a smartass. "
" The expression is a bit familiar, but I'll accept the compliment. " Artemis granted with a crooked smile.
The fairy's joyous mood didn't last long, though. She pondered, gathering her words.
" I meant it, Artemis, when I told you that the People made a mistake mindwiping you. … Don't get me wrong, I really hate you right now ; but in a way, I understand your grudge. I do. But... "
Artemis smiled, as if encouraging her to continue.
" ... You've avenged yourself, now. " Holly pursued, desperation in her voice. " It's over. We paid our debt to you. Even literally. What do you want, now ? "
The young Fowl raised his hands, in a perfect showman's move.
" You're right, Captain Short. I have subdued the fairies, just the way you had subdued me. It could be over. But you're forgetting something quite important. The Wired. "
He smiled, revealing his teeth.
" I am the most powerful human being on Earth. The experiments I've led upon you were very… entertaining ; but now I've fulfilled my revenge, I'm left unsatisfied. I can't just give up on the Wired. I can't just quit exploiting the People. I want more, Captain Short. World domination is literally within hand's reach. I've almost completely dismantled the Fairy Council – I can proclaim myself Only and True Leader of the underground world. I can harness the fairie's technological advance and become the most powerful high tech and arms dealer for the next decades to come. "
As Artemis' presentation unfolded, his tone vibrant and his eyes glimmering in anticipation, Holly's complexion became more and more chalky, her legs shaking.
This was worse than the C Cube. Worse than anything Artemis had ever done before. Usually, he only searched personal profits – most commonly, wealth, or in the latest case, vendetta. But this was another level.
World domination. This was dementia. Pure megalomania. The Wired had contamined him completely, destroying his sanity and his moral compass even more surely than the mindwipe.
" … You can't do that, Artemis. "
The sound of her pitiful own voice almost brought Holly to tears. The young Fowl laughed, truly hysterically.
" I can do everything I want. Don't you get it, Captain ? I'm a living God. "
Holly's eyes widened.
He's insane. He's completely insane.
" What about your parents ? " she tried, in a last desperate attempt. " They don't want to see you like this. "
Artemis took a few steps back, as if Holly had punched him in the chest. But it only seemed to turn his excitement into hatred.
" They won't mind ", he growled, more similar to a wounded panther than to a human being. " I can assure you. "
The implications of this statement finished to terrify Holly. She turned on her heels, and rushed for the door, losing complete control of herself.
" HELP ! " she yelled. " SOMEONE HELP ME ! "
But before she could reach the door, Artemis had pulled his cellphone from his pocket, and logged into the Wired with a disturbing moan of pleasure.
Suddenly, Holly's LEP suit kinetic energy redirection system buzzed, and with a soft Glitch, the suit became rigid – solid and hard as stone.
With a half-choked cry, Holly fell to the ground, driven by her momentum, stuck in her running position like a statue. She rolled on the tiled floor like a puppet, and collided brutally on the wooden door. Her fragile fairy bones crackled under the shock, but she didn't have enough magic to heal – she had spend every single drop back in Prague, when Artemis had knocked her down. It felt like an eternity ago.
But Holly regained her senses, and saw Artemis, his face distorted in a delighted expression, moving forward, his cellphone still in his hand, his eyes locked into the screen.
" Artemis, what are you doing ? " she screamed, in panic.
The young Fowl didn't answer, approaching closer and closer.
" Artemis ! I've got something for you ! I've got something to give you ! " Holly cried, more terrified than she had ever been before.
Artemis stopped, and chuckled, atrociously dryly. Enlighted by his cellphone, he looked like a complete maniac.
" But I want nothing from you, Captain Short. Nothing more than you to acknowledge my divine power. Nothing more than your cries of despair as I force you to bow before me. "
He started typing on the phone's touchpad, and Holly felt her suit, entirely doubled with wires and electric systems, twisting her body, forcing her arms and legs to move in unnatural directions. Her back tweaked into a position her natural flexibility didn't allow her to, and her horrified screams turned into a shrieking of sheer, blunt pain.
" ARTEMIS ! Stop ! "
Suddenly, the inexorable pressure on Holly's body wavered, and eased, allowing her to collapse on the floor like a ragdoll, whimping, tears jerking from her eyes.
Butler was here.
Alerted by the screamings, he had ran all the way down from the music room, and stopped at the end of the stairs, paralyzed in dread at the scene he was witnessing. He stood still, staring at Artemis and Holly, his gaze going from one to the other like a distraught bird.
The fairy was too blinded by the physical suffering to see him. Artemis, on the other hand, stared back.
There was nothing human in his eyes anymore.
Within the blink of an eye, Butler had pulled his Sig Sauer out. His charge turned around to face him, brandishing his cellphone as if it was a handgun.
But the manservant put his weapon on the ground, and opened his arms at the young Fowl, in a true warm, tender gesture. Artemis blinked, surprised.
" Artemis ", Butler said extremely softly. " Calm down. I'm here. "
He moved forward, very slowly, his arms still opened. Artemis took a step back, but he was blinking furiously, his breathing irregular.
" Artemis ", the manservant repeated, with the same softness in his voice. " Listen to my voice. It's okay. "
The young Fowl dropped his arms, slowly. There was a truly conflicted expression on his face ; as if he was fighting to get his conciousness back.
Butler smiled, weakly but encouragingly. He was only a few feet away from Artemis. The young boy had stopped backing away, and he wavered on his feet, wheezing.
" Artemis. I'm here. I'm with you. Listen to me. I'm here. "
The manservant, with extreme precaution, put his large hands on the young Fowl's shoulders. Artemis twitched, as if he had been slightly electrocuted. His deep blue eyes, with their reddened sclera, locked into Butler's.
" Artemis. I'm here. "
Artemis inhaled deeply. It had been such a long time, since Butler had spoken to him with such a tender voice.
He remembered some nights, in his early childhood, when he had been awoken in tears by nightmares – and the bodyguard was here to comfort him. He remembered one day, after his father had gone missing and his mother was irretrievably insane ; he had had the first and only anxiety attack in his entire life. And Butler had been there, reassuring him with the same caring voice, the same gentleness.
Artemis was shivering. Slowly, he allowed Butler to attract him into a warm, careful hug, and buried his face into the manservant's shirt, his hands shaking. He spoke, with a fragile, broken voice.
" … Butler. "
And then, the bodyguard, tears of guilt streaming down his face, punched him in the stomach.
He didn't go at full force – otherwise, in the boy's current physical state, he would have killed him instantly. Butler calculated his blow with the precision of a professionnal.
Artemis merely had the time to widen his eyes in shock, before he passed out, falling into unconsciousness in his bodyguard's arms.
Oh wow. That was intense é.è
Poor Arty boy. Poor Butler, also. And poor Holly, and poor fairies, and... well, I guess I'm the real monster here ^^' I hope the torture scene was okay for the most sensitive readers. Personally I'm used to much more gorey stuff, but you never know. It's quite extreme, but that's just how Artemis is actually f*cked up in his head right now. I had warned you all, right from the prologue : this isn't a fluff story :-)
I hope the chapter didn't feel too long ; I could have cut the parts with Butler, Holly and Artemis and put it in next chapter, but honestly I've been planning this chapter's cliffhanger from the beginning, and I just couldn't NOT finish the chapter on it. Feel free to give your opinion though, if you felt that some elements might have been removed, if you liked this ending... I love feedback, feedback is great, feedback is life :-D
As I've told you last week, I'm also working on my movie's script, in parallel with this fanfic. The next two Databases are quite clear in my head, I know where I'm going but I want it to be perfect (or as close to perfect as I can get, because well true perfection doesn't actually exist. meh), and I'll take the time necessary.
Though, I want to try and keep the rythm of one update per week - I might just update on Saturdays or Sundays, instead of Wednesdays, to give myself more time. And if I can't make it, don't worry : I certainly won't give up on this story till I'm finished, nor put it on hiatus. That's a promise ;-)
French hugs on you ! Don't forget to review, it gives me courage :-3
See you next week !