A Spry Secret Part 2

The dim lights of Police Plaza shimmered in the background as Holly Short, Major of the LEP, sat down and waited for her company to arrive. And arrive they did.

"Hello, Holly." Artemis Fowl, teenage criminal genius approached Holly cautiously. Even he was not sure how to pretend that he did not possess the memories of his past self, and he was a child-no-longer genius. Butler shook hands with Holly.

"And what to do with you, I wonder?" Holly murmured under her breath. She shook off her unease and shook hands with Artemis, albeit a little more carefully.

"So what do you remember from the time when you defeated Opal Koboi?"

"Not really. I remember distinct images but not the whole picture." Artemis was proud of that statement. He copied it, word for word, from Argon's psychology notebook, Section 22B.

"Then what don't you –" Holly sighed in exasperation. It was confusing, treating Artemis with kid gloves. She had to make sure she didn't insult him in a way that would confuse his present self. The elf never thought she would say this, but she actually preferred her kidnapper to this. At least then, she could blast the problem with her good old Neutrino.

"Something on your mind?" Artemis asked, confused.

"Not really." Holly lied. She snapped herself out of her dazed stupor.

"So pretty much, Foaly defeated Opal. Although you had a part in it too." Holly elaborated.

"He defeated her with superior intellect," Artemis recited absentmindedly. Holly replied,

"Yeah, he did. I think –" She sat bolt upright, suddenly aware. "How do you know that?" Artemis realised his costly mistake as he tried to cover his tracks.

"You told me, remember?"

Holly frowned and instinctively scanned her memory, even though she hoped she would not find the answer. "No I didn't." Artemis cursed. For the first time in his life, he had been lazy. It was a very peculiar feeling. And consequences would follow.

"Artemis, answer me."

"I don't remember."

"I know –" She broke off mid-sentence. "What in Frond's name is that thing?" 'That thing' looked like Artemis Fowl, walked like Artemis Fowl and had that strange Artemis Fowl-like smirk that was ever-present on his Artemis Fowl-like face. Butler raised his Sig Sauer and Holly brought out her Neutrino. "Artemis?" she gasped. "Wait. D'arvit." Holly muttered. "What is going on?" She looked around. There was now an Artemis Fowl one, who was looking very resigned, and Artemis Fowl two, who was looking very confused. She wavered, waiting for one of the Artemises to give themselves away with an un-Artemis Fowl move. However, each Artemis Fowl was sizing up the other Artemis Fowl. That was when Butler tackled them both to the ground. He wasn't taking any chances.