A/N Hi!(: (: (: (: Sorry I didn't put an author's note in the front of the 1st chapter. It totally slipped my mind! Anyways, here is Ch. 2. As you can see, Foaly makes a HUGE mistake in this chapter. This will be awesomely amazing…. So, read and review! If you have any corrections or suggestions, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell me! I'm new at this, so help me out! And review! Did I already mention that already?... CH.2! (: (: (: (: (: (: (: OH and this has some slight Hartemis. Thanks to JRavenTheFangirl and Cynthia Darling for the reviews! (: (: (: (: (: (: (:
-Liz
Ch. 2 In Which Foaly Makes a Terrible Mistake
Artemis jumped slightly as the communicator rang; he had been concentrating very hard on his computers. Butler watched as the boy quickly hooked up a program that allowed him to see whoever was calling on the communicator.
Of course, it was Holly Short.
Her auburn hair and rounded face appeared on the screen as Artemis typed on a few keys. The elf smiled.
"Hello, Mud Boy." Holly said cheerfully. Artemis scowled at his nickname. "Hello Miss Holly." He returned, and likewise the elf frowned at her horrible name.
"Don't call me that, Artemis." She said. Artemis smirked. "Don't call ME that, Holly." Holly growled. "Alright Fowl, stop this. There is a reason I called you." Artemis immediately put his business face on.
"Well then. Let us talk about this important matter." He said, looking at Holly with his mismatched eyes piercing into her equally mismatched colored orbs. The elf cleared her throat and began to talk.
"Lately Foaly has been working on a new invention." Artemis interrupted. "Heaven forbid, Foaly making a new machine?!" he said in mock horror. Holly laughed. "I know right? I was scared when he first announced the new developments for the machine." The elf grinned. "But anyways, Artemis," Holly continued," He wants you to be the first one to try it out."
Artemis started. "Me?" Holly snorted. "Yeah you. Are you deaf or something?" Artemis shook his head. "No, I just…." Holly shushed him. "Here, just talk to me when we get to the shuttle." Then Holly severed the call.
The boy genius sat quietly pondering what had been said. 'He wants you to be the first one to try it out.' Holly's words echoed in his mind. Foaly wanted him to try out one of his beloved inventions. That was almost unbelievable.
Artemis was interrupted by Butler, who said, "Master Artemis?" "Yes?" replied the boy. "Do you want the Bentley…" Artemis stood and walked briskly past his bodyguard. "Yes Butler. Please do." He said over his shoulder as he walked down to the main room.
Artemis approached his family in the living room. He spotted his mother and walked over to her. "Mother?" he asked waiting quietly for her response. "Yes Arty?" she answered, her brown eyes sparkling as she watched her husband and twin sons wrestle. Artemis swallowed nervously and began.
"Mother, I want to ask your permission in going to the Haven to help Foaly with a new invention of his." Artemis watched his mother's face for her expressions. First there was shock and wariness in her eyes, then it gave way to a smile.
"Of course, Arty. But Butler will have to accompany you. And you must not get hurt!" Angeline called as Artemis nodded then walked up the stairs to his study.
5 minutes later, Artemis and Butler were in the Fowl Bentley with Butler driving and Artemis in the back. Artemis knew where they were headed, as did Butler. Holly would meet them at Tara, a major shuttle port fairly near to Fowl Manor.
Artemis stared out the window as trees and bushes pasted by. Butler noticed that Artemis seemed troubled. He decided to ask what was bothering his charge. "Artemis? Is…is everything alright?" Butler asked concerned. Artemis nodded absently.
Butler wasn't fully convinced. "Are you sure?" Artemis looked at Butler in the rearview mirror and answered, "Yes Butler. I am very sure." Butler said no more and soon they reached Tara. Artemis climbed out and suddenly a fairy shuttle materialized in front of Artemis and Butler.
Neither one was surprised; this happened a daily basis for them. The shuttle door opened and out walked an elf. This particular elf was known by Holly Short, an elite member of the LEPrecain Police of Haven. She grinned as she noticed Butler and Artemis.
"Hi Butler!" Holly said as she walked up to him. Butler smiled down at her and knelt to one knee to her height. "Hello Holly. How have you been doing?" The elf threw her arms around Butler and hugged him. The bodyguard returned the hug, only a little gentler.
Holly pulled away and answered Butler's question. "Pretty good. Commander Vivinya has been not too harsh on the desk jobs."
Artemis laughed. He actually laughed. Not a cold, harsh laugh. A regular laugh. Holly didn't think that was possible. She stared at her friend with awe and amazement. He caught her look and asked," What's wrong?"
Holly just shook her head. "N...nothing." she stammered. Artemis nodded. "Are we ready?" Artemis asked, gesturing to the shuttle. "Sure. Let's go." She responded, opening the shuttle door. Artemis and Butler followed, and soon they were speeding underground towards Haven.
Holly was driving around a bend going at break-neck speeds and both passengers were trying to hold on to their lives. No joke. Holly was famous for her reckless driving. Anyways, Artemis was in the passenger seat and Butler was crouched in the bay area.
Holly glanced over at Artemis and was delighted to see his terrified face. It's always so much fun to scare Mud Boys. Specifically this one… she thought as the shuttle swerved around a bend.
Soon the shuttle was docked and a very excited centaur cantered up to the docked vehicle as the door opened. This was done other than the technician Foaly, a paranoid centaur of the LEP. He whinnied as a boy stumbled out of the door followed by a smug elf and a massive Mud Man.
"Holly's driving get to you, Fowl?" Foaly asked, whinnying with laughter. Artemis fell over and didn't say a thing, until Butler helped him up and he had found his balance. "Yes Foaly. And you know well enough that Holly's driving gets to you also." Artemis replied in a clipped voice.
Foaly stopped laughing and simply said, "Yes, that's true, but let's go to the lab. I've got a surprise for you!" Artemis, Holly and Butler followed the overly excited Foaly to a lab near the LEP headquarters and the Operations Booth.
Inside the lab was a mass of wires and trinkets scattered across the floor and various tables. Artemis was intrigued with the lab and the technology of the place. Holly was just scared that Artemis was going into one of Foaly's machines. After all, hadn't that centaur's inventions caused enough trouble already?
Butler was equally frightened by these unknown dangers. Artemis could be killed or severely injured by these machines. And Butler wouldn't be able to convince his charge not to test the invention. The little group reached the place where the invention was located.
Foaly was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. Butler was looking the machine over and giving it a sum up. It may look harmless, but it could hold dangers for Master Artemis. Butler kept reminding himself. Holly was staring at the chuck of smooth metal and had a breakdown on the spot.
"FOALY! Is THIS your big great machine?!" Foaly knew the tone she was using and knew not to mess with it. He had learned the hard way. "Um…..maybe?" he answered in a hesitant voice. Holly just growled a little. Carrots! thought Foaly. Now I've done it!
He really had down it. Holly was now marching up and down in front of him, ranting on and on about this horrible invention and how unsafe it would be. Butler and Artemis merely watched and Foaly shrunk back with fear. "So don't you even DARE put Arty in this blasted machine!" Holly finished with a wild gesture towards the hunk of metal.
Artemis stepped away from Butler and closer to Holly. "Holly, with all due respect, I'm going to still test out the invention." Holly nearly screamed, "WHAT?!" Artemis placed his surprisingly firm grip on her shoulders, and pulled her into a hug.
The elf was too surprised to pull away. She heard faintly Foaly gasping in the background and Butler saying something she could not quite hear. All Holly knew was that Artemis was hugging her and whispering in her ear.
"Holly, I know this is hard for you and you're really against this, but I'm willing to try an invention never tested before. If I get hurt…" Artemis stopped because Holly was whispering back to him. "Artemis, if you're sure it will be ok, I'm fine with you doing it. Just be careful." She finished whispering in his ear and pulled away.
Foaly and Butler were staring. Well, Foaly was staring. Butler was just looking at his charge with slight surprise. Artemis nodded to Foaly, and said, "I'm ready to try the invention out." Foaly nodded and stepped near to the machine. "Ok, this is how it this works. The invention was created to alter whoever is it to have specific powers."
Artemis raised a thin eyebrow. "Like what type of powers?" Foaly shrugged. "Well there are earth powers and ice powers…" "Oh, so it's nature powers?" Foaly nodded. "Yeah, pretty much." "Ok, I think I'm ready."
Foaly grinned. "Alright Artemis. Come this way." Artemis followed Foaly up to the machine. Foaly opened the machine's door and Artemis stepped inside. Foaly shut the door behind him and revved the invention.
A/N AHHHHHHHAAAAAA! CLIFFHANGER! Sort of…. Well that's it… Ch. 2! It was longer than I expected. Anyways, please review and follow! Ch. 3 will be up soon! (: (: (: (; (; (;
-Liz
