A/N: I own nothing to do with Artemis Fowl.

Chapter 4: Really Bad News

As Trouble walked past the Operations Booth he saw Artemis looking through some papers. The door was open for once so Trouble walked in.

"What are you doing?" He demanded the mud boy.

Artemis looked up calmly. "Oh hello Major Kelp. I was looking through the few demon identification papers we have, trying to get some answers on who the demons who took No1 and Qwan. So far it's not going very well. All demons seem to look alike."

Trouble sat down on Foaly's swivel chair. "Look Fowl. Holly said that you'd explain the sharing consciousness thing. So talk."

Artemis sighed and sat down opposite Trouble. "Ok it's like this." And Artemis proceeded to tell him everything about their time in Limbo. "So as you asked me a question, now it's my turn."

Trouble looked at him warily. "Ok shoot."

"I heard that you and Holly were dating when she disappeared, so my question is. Do you still have the same feelings for her?"

Trouble looked at him with his mouth open. "I barely know you Fowl and you expect me to lay my heart out for you."

"True." Artemis said. "But take this into consideration. Holly does trust me."

Trouble sighed in defeat. "Ok fine I do still care about her. Actually care isn't the right word. I love her with all my heart. Wait do you like her?" Trouble asked suspiciously.

Artemis snorted. "Me in love with Holly? Hardly. She is my best friend. Nothing more."

Trouble nodded.

"Anyway I know for a fact that Holly is worried that you don't care for her anymore." Artemis said.

Trouble's head snapped up. "How could she think that?" he asked incredulously.

Artemis shrugged. "I think your meeting this morning wasn't exactly ideal. You seemed nervous."

Trouble sighed. "I was... well I was... uh... astounded that she had come back."

Artemis nodded, accepting the lie.

"You know. You're very easy to talk to, Fowl."

Artemis grinned. "Most people judge me as cold but I have become a better person."

Trouble grinned back and was about to say something when Foaly burst in.

"Oh it's you two. I was afraid someone broke into the Ops booth. What were you guys talking about anyway?" the centaur asked panting.

Artemis and Trouble looked at each other. "Nothing." They said in unison.

When Holly came back a few hours later everyone was waiting for her impatiently in the Ops Booth. Everyone is Artemis, Trouble, Foaly, Mulch Diggums and Doodah Day. When she walked in everyone looked at her.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to bump a passenger on the way down and that caused him to cause a ruckus."

She looked at Mulch and Doodah. "Hey guys. Long time no see."

"Yeah we were surprised to hear that you had come back." Mulch said sounding hurt. "You'd think you could have told us sooner."

Holly winced and looked at Artemis who responded with. "We just got back yesterday. We didn't forget you. Besides to us we just saw you day before yesterday. Now we have our own problems regarding 2 demon warlocks."

Holly sat down next to Trouble and she and Artemis proceeded to tell the confused pixie and dwarf all about Qwan and No1.

It took a half hour to finish telling the whole story (it took so long because it was being explained or at least partially explained, by Artemis who made it VERY detailed). By the end of it Mulch and Doodah were looking confused and/or very surprised.

"We have to find these demon guys, with a tracking spray that has been dragged through a time tunnel PROVIDED the demon in question hasn't taken a bath?" Doodah asked looking even more confused. Let's just say that his IQ didn't exactly reach Artemis and Foaly's.

Foaly sighed. "Yes for the thousandth time!"

Trouble then decided to join the conversation.

"Well then shouldn't you see if the tracking spray still works? Otherwise we'll need a new plan." Trouble said making it sound like the most obvious thing in the world.

Artemis and Foaly froze.

"I was just about to do that." Foaly mumbled turning to a computer. "I just hope I can still find it, it has been almost 3 years after all."

After a few minutes of searching he came up with an icon.

"I found it!" Foaly said triumphantly. "Now I hope you realize that only a genius like myself could have found it after so long..."

"I suppose the fact that the icon was in a folder called No1's Tracking Spray has nothing to do with it?" Holly interrupted dryly.

Foaly muttered something and clicked the icon. After a few minutes of looking through the records he gave a small gasp, sprang up and ran over to a filing cabinet at the other side of the room. He was frantically searching through files as everyone in the room said in unison, "What's wrong?"

When Foaly didn't respond Artemis went over to the computer and read the document for himself. When he looked up his eyes were wide.

"Oh dear." He said sitting back down. "This may be worse than we thought."

Foaly nodded absently as he pulled out a file. "Got it!" He said and sat back down; leafing through it's many pages.

"Um excuse me?" Holly said sounding annoyed. "We're still here and would like to know what's going on!"

Artemis looked at her. "It's not funny Holly. At the moment No1's tracking spray isn't working but it was 15 minutes ago. I ask you to take a wild guess where he and Qwan are."

Holly smiled. "With our luck I bet they're at the old Koboi labs with Opal herself."

Artemis's silence was all she needed to hear.

"What?!" She yelled, her cries echoing through the Ops Booth.

A/N: Ohh. Cliffhanger! Review and I might be able to update by tomorrow or the next day.