A/N: Guys, I really would like for you to review. I need ideas, for my muse seems to have abandoned me. It appears that the majority of the people who read my stories are not reviewing. I would be glad for some criticism, and I feel the need for an idea. You can PM me, if you have an account, or you can just review. If you don't want others to see your idea, post "please delete after reading" at the end, or PM. (I can only delete anonymous reviews, btw.)

The Motel

Artemis glanced at his bodyguard as the man handed him the wire.

"How did you know where I was, and how that holo was a threat?"

Butler shook his head. "Artemis, you really are predictable sometimes. I knew you would come here. Why this motel? And this room? Arty, the motel address is 55555 Aspen Drive. Both Aspen and Drive have five letters. You are in room five. That Atlantis Complex hasn't completely left you."

"Ohh..." Artemis trailed off for probably the first time in his life that wasn't intentional. "What about the Holo-Holly?"

"Didn't you look at her properly? Both her eyes were hazel. Artemis, you're becoming more careless. You were the cleverest person on and under the earth a few years ago. Now you're just a genius." Butler watched his Principal carefully.

"JUST a genius?" Artemis was horrified."I am most definitely the "cleverest person on and under the earth"! Minerva will attest to that. Now, my attention may have lapsed, considering that I was still translating that Hungarian song and I had just gotten out of the shower. And my ring rang...My ring!"

It was gone.

Artemis knew he wouldn't find the ring. He had put it on his hand as he left the bathroom. What really surprised him was, when he put on his jacket, the loss of his lightweight phone. He cursed his stupidity quite loudly with a few choice words. He stomped rather uncharacteristically back into the bedroom and flopped on the bed.

"Butler?"

"Hmm?"

"...well... erm..."

Butler waited patiently, knowing his charge would speak when ready.

"Erm...You-were-righ-tI'm- getting-careless-and-I'm- not-the-same-capacity-of-genius-I-used-to-be," Artemis said in one breath. He exhaled tiredly and flipped over onto his stomach.

"What happened now?"

Artemis held up his jacket, the pocket with the leather-tasseled zipper still open. "It's empty." His voice was hollow. "My fairy communicator and personally technologically upgraded phone were stolen while I was distracted by the holo. I must find them. It is of vital importance to my safety, the safety of the fairies, and the safety of the United States of America."

Chicago, USA

Juliet picked up her phone again. She had decided to phone her brother after her momentary shock had worn off. She would find out who, or what, had called her from Dom's phone. She was speed-dialling him when a knock sounded on her apartment door. She stopped the call and walked to the door. She peered through the peephole in the door, but could only see the vast dark front of a suit. She backed away and tied her jade ring in her long blond plait, just in case. She opened the door quickly so that the person on the other side could not take advantage of the delay.

Standing in front of the black suit was...

"Hullo, Juliet," Artemis said sullenly.

The LEP

A centaur wearing a tin-foil cap turned around at the sound of a knock on the Technical HQ door. Foaly trotted tiredly over and opened the door for his visitor.

"Really, it amazes me how you manage to stay on those very eloquent feet, donkey boy," sneered the new head of the LEP.

"What is it?" snapped Foaly waspishly at his boss.

"That is on a need-to-know basis. And you have no need to know," the demon growled maliciously as he swung the ShockWave, one of Foaly's own inventions that is rather like a high-voltage Taser. The metal rod came into direct contact at the point where Foaly's forehead touched the foil. The skin sizzled under the heat before it fell off as the centaur's knees buckled and his flank and head hit the ground.

"You see, centaur," he said to the insentient Foaly, "You've been... in the way. More than I'd like to admit to the general public. More than I will allow. As the LEP authority, I have it within my power to... remove... said obstructions. Thank you, centaur, for the service you will render me. " And with these words of parting, the demon stepped over the unconscious body of his technical consultant. He reached over to a shelf on the wall and grabbed a paper-thin holo-wire and a supercomputer the size of his finger. He looked around and strutted through the still-open door.

He, like his former idol, Abbot, was of monstrous size with huge curved horns that would make a prize ram faint with envy. His blood-red chest plates were harder than diamond, and a glance from his fearsome eyes and their red irises sparked dozens of imps to fight and warp on the spot. Among the other Families, there were rumors. Rumors of how the demon had risen to power in less than a year, rumors flying across Haven City- - rumors of who he had killed to be in such a place of power that he could dissolve the Council- none of the members of which had been seen since. He was powerful because of fear. Demons don't have magic, an odd position to be in as most of Haven does.

Killing off the elders was a good way to strike fear into the hearts of elves and pixies. But what would make everyfairy not only fear him, but love him, would be the murder of two people. The first was a dangerous pixie. The second was a very, very dangerous Mud Man. Opal Koboi. And Artemis Fowl II.