Only Present Opal returned to the main cabin where Artemis Senior still waited.
"What's happening to my son?" Hate was written in every facet of the Irish father's face.
Present Opal examined him seriously.
"Fowl is never going to interfere with any of my plans again. You Sir do not know your own son." There was a brief pause as Opal snickered, "Don't worry my father didn't know me very well either, his mistake, he didn't let me take over the family business so I started my own and bought him out eventually." She looked up dreamily "I didn't have any problems after that… That is, until, HE came along." She pointed in the direction Past Opal had exited with Artemis the Second. Artemis Senior's eyes narrowed. "I do hope however that Ms. Short manages to arrive somehow. I've scrambled all the technology underground but her resourcefulness may work in favor of my entertainment this time around."
Artemis Senior gritted his teeth as Opal walked back to the cockpit and shut the door behind her. Ms. Short? Oh gods is that one of the, the fairies they mentioned earlier?
~In The Back~
Artemis's vision blurred as he came back to consciousness, he had only been out for a few minutes. He was back in the holding cell. At that point sitting up wasn't an option for him.
What, s-should I do now? The thought was an unpleasant realization. I don't even have the mental capacity to… to… think. I need help… I need… need… Holly. This was his last coherent thought before blackness enveloped him.
~Several Minutes Later~
Artemis Senior was soon rejoined with his son, courtesy of Past Opal. He sat there, grimly, next to his son for several hours.
~Several Hours Later Somewhere Underground~
"We've arrived!" Shouted Past Opal as she opened the door to the holding cell. Artemis Senior looked grimly up at her without speaking. She smiled in return. "Get up Mud Man." Artemis Senior complied with the order as Past Opal had a neutrino blaster aimed at his chest. His hands were bound tightly behind his back with modified LEP regulation cuffs. These cuffs had had their unlock code changed as well as an extra locking plate over the input panel. There wasn't going to be anyone getting out of these. "March!" Opal ignored the scathing look she got from Artemis senior as he was frog marched out the holding door and then out of the shuttle, Present Opal arriving behind them moments later dragging young Artemis with her.
They appeared to be in a dark hallway with walls, floor, and ceiling made of a dull charcoal metal.
"You're going to enjoy yourselves here." Present Opal Smiled as she returned to the shuttle, Past Opal following her.
"Where are we?!" Artemis Senior demanded, growling in frustration and anger.
"Oh you'll find out," Past Opal chimed, disappearing around the shuttle door.
"Soon enough…" finished Present Opal as the shuttle door rose shut in front of her and a new wall began sliding past, hiding the shuttle from view and trapping the father and son in a dark hallway. As the door came within inches of completely closing the space off there was a loud clang and the cuffs binding Artemis Seniors hands behind his back snapped open and hit the floor. When the grinding stopped there was dead silence.
"Dear God." whispered Artemis Senior in awe and frustration as he rubbed his newly released wrists. Looking around, he nothing but the blank walls of a long hallway. He stooped down to take inventory of his son's health.
Artemis Senior was not a doctor but he could tell that young Artemis was in desperate need of one. He leaned against the wall next to his son and shut his eyes thinking.
This is really a mess, one by the sound of it Artemis could probably get us out of if he weren't unconscious. What are we – am I, going to do? He let out a sigh. What will Angeline think? She must be worried sick, the authorities must have been notified by now, correct? Perhaps the… the… LAP, no the L-E-P, maybe they will help? They sound as if they are the ones who deal with this sort of thing, or at least they hire my son too... And then there is this woman – er, fairie by the name of Short. What an ironic name. Mr. Fowl put a hand to his temple and looked down at his unconscious son. His son was the only one who had gotten out, who could get anyone out of, this situation. I'm not an immeasurable genius like my son but I am not an unintelligent man. I have been kidnaped before, even spent the night in an enemy's trunk once when I was younger and more naive, I can get us out of this. There was a moment's pause. The last time I was kidnaped, my 12 year old son was the one who… He lent his head back against the wall and…
There was a vibration, a tremor that traveled down the wall and into the floor and Artemis senior felt it! The wall was moving! Not sliding sideways but scraping forward making the hall way shorter. The movement was slow but Artemis senior rushed to grab his son and ran down the hall. After a few minutes running he came to the end of the hallway and looked back. It was too dark to see where he had come from but he could feel the other wall coming toward them. Young Artemis was slung over his father's shoulder. They didn't have much time.