So, I forgot to throw in the author's note in the first chapter :D How dumb of me, but I'm new here. This is my first ever fanfiction, and I've written up to Chapter 10 and posted it on AFC. It's going to get quite long, possibly twenty chapters or so.

Thanks to Rocket Axxonu for being my "literary advisor" or "editor"!

Anyway, this is supposed to come after The Atlantis Complex, and after the spoiler chapters for The Last Guardian released by Mr. Colfer. It's basically what I don't think will happen at all in The Last Guardian, but would like! A lot.

The italicizing means that it's Artemis's point of view.

Chapter 2

We drove out of the city for about an hour until we reached a sprawling manor house. Butler pulled into the driveway and let Artemis and I out. He handed Artemis a remote- presumably for the security system- and drove off.

Artemis opened the door and let me in. He was obviously more at ease in his own home, but his manner was still formal. "Once Butler gets back we can have dinner, and we can explain what exactly is happening."

Once Butler returned, Artemis showed me into the dining hall, where Butler set three places at the wooden table. As Butler vanished, presumably to the kitchen, Artemis sat down next to me. He started by explaining how he found out about fairies, and the different types. Then his explanation became more interesting.

"My father was missing in Russia, confirmed dead, but I suspected Mafiya involvement. Our funds were running out and I needed more. I could not let my father die. I made first contact with the fairies, and they offered me a deal- they would stop time on the estate. If I managed to elude all of their attempts to kill me, I could have a metric tonne of gold. They lost, and I won."

He talked his way through all of his previous adventures with the fairies through dinner, and well into the night. Once he finished, Butler showed me to one of the guest bedrooms.

Artemis had told her about all of his fairy dealings, in detail and in truth. Except for one. He found that the Atlantis Complex had softened him and made him more concerned about what others might think. Artemis Fowl was no longer a criminal mastermind, he was a juvenile genius. But he was still a good liar with a guilt problem. And she seemed smart enough to find out what exactly had happened, and how he had twisted the truth. She would hate him after- he pushed the thought out of his mind. 'We are going into siege,' he chided himself. 'Stay detached.'

I slept well, but awoke to the sound of yelling.

"How could you, Artemis? This is our home!"

Artemis's voice came through the thick wood of my door. "I've told you already, if you stay you will be in danger. I can't risk that!"

A woman's muffled voice sadly said something, and Artemis responded. The talk went on and on, and I fell slowly back to sleep.

Artemis's mother had insisted that the family would stay. An entire LEPretrieval squad was coming, with the specific purpose of guarding the Fowls. Truth be told, Artemis was relieved. His family might have been in greater danger if they had left the manor…

He still had moments where he regretted bringing the girl along. Now that he allowed himself time to think, he truly didn't understand why he had chosen to bring her. She could be no help- but the mind-wiping equipment and the tecchies would be too busy with the regular humans and the chaos going on in the city.

He realized that he didn't even know her name.

I woke up and saw that there was breakfast waiting on the table in my quarters, along with clothes in the closet. Once I was ready, I navigated my way to the dining room.

Butler was waiting for me.

"We are preparing for a siege. Underground would be more convenient but we can't risk it. Opal has a huge supply of explosives and she could destroy all of Haven. Aboveground we have several advantages over the fairies- like sunlight. It makes their magic and the Neutrino beams have less effect. We expect Opal will have a full mercenary army, and they will be fully armed."

His military style of explaining was quick, crisp, and to the point, but he hadn't told me exactly what I wanted to know.

"Why exactly is Opal attacking?"

Butler sighed. "She is a murdering psychopath. She wants revenge. Artemis is reviewing her motives in the study."

Butler stood up, unfolding to his massive height. "Holly is taking a break from policing the city. Artemis wants you to meet him in the library."

Artemis was extremely dissatisfied with how the siege was going. Truthfully, it was all a ploy to draw Opal's attention away from the civilians and to make her forget the one all-important detail- but he couldn't dwell on that. The LEP were going to guard the manor, but Artemis and his companions were going to stay inside- like bait. No1 had promised magical protection and shielding, but Artemis had a nagging feeling that there was a hole in his otherwise perfect plan…

Butler accompanied me to the study. Holly hovered nearby as Artemis sat at a wooden desk, typing.

"You're here. Holly, you've met, I've heard…?"

Holly landed and put her wings away. "We've met." She extended a hand. "Holly Short."

I nodded. "Thalia Peterson." We shook.

Artemis stood. "Enough with the pleasantries. We are awaiting LEP backup, technical assistance, and Opal.

"To refresh: Opal the younger was taken prisoner by two gnomes who threatened to kill her unless we released her older self. We released her. She was given three days in which to get away and hide, or the gnomes would kill Opal the younger.

"She disappeared off of the map. We can assume that she has had her seeker-sleeper removed. Opal blue-rinsed an abandoned factory and set it on fire, alerting us to her presence by the trace amounts of solinium-2. Her motives are unknown, but she may have destroyed the factory out of rage, delusion, or a bluff alerting the LEP to her whereabouts.

"Opal has been contacting mercenaries, as stealth shuttles have been detected (judging by the absence of gases) in the chutes, and all of them are heading in our approximate direction.

"We are going under siege, and expecting Opal to attack us with her mercenaries within five days. The LEP are giving us full backing, in an attempt to catch Opal and minimize casualties."

I turned to Artemis. "But what about Opal's past self and the gnomes?"

Artemis sighed. "That little problem is causing a lot of turmoil among the LEP. They have split in two- one half wants to apprehend Opal the younger so she and Haven are safe, and the other are loyal to our cause. They have disappeared completely, without a trace."

"But there are also about fifty officers guarding Haven. The city has been locked off from everything else, as a security measure. We know that Opal could find a way to get by, but we just want to make it harder for her, to give us some extra time. LEP communications are the only things going in or out of the city," Holly stated.

Artemis nodded. "No1, Foaly, and the officers will be here in about ten minutes."

Artemis was exhausted. He hadn't slept for the last three days, too busy theorizing and plotting to rest. The disappearance of Opal the younger was suspicious, but at least the missing pixie was alive. He found himself focussing on little details, like the paintings on the walls and Thalia's reddish brown hair. 'A fatigued juvenile genius is worse than no genius at all. I need rest,' Artemis thought. But he insisted on staying awake until Foaly and No1 arrived. The security of the manor must be improved, and he had some specifications to mention.

But he couldn't get Thalia out of his head. He knew that he was placing her in terrible danger, and trusting someone he barely knew could be disastrous. But he had a feeling that she would play an important role. He would have to wait and see what it was.

So, how is it? Please read and review; I'd like to see what you think of it. Trust me, the story gets better!