Artemis Fowl: Opal's Revenge.

Chapter Two

Holly rolled off the cot, getting in a defensive stance, although she couldn't do much if she was shot. The Neutrino fried the cot, literally. She had no protective suit on, and it the gun was at its highest setting, she wasn't sure if her magic would do much to help her.

Footsteps thundered up to the door and the door flew open, crashing off the wall. Butler bounded in, flicking on the light. He saw Artemis holding the gun, pointing it at Holly. The cot was a smoking black mass.

In an instant he was across the room. It took half a second for him to expertly disarm Artemis of the gun and sweep him up in a bear hug, pinioning his arms to his sides. Beckett and Myles were awake, staring.

"Get off me, you oaf! How dare you touch me?!" Artemis kicked and struggled, to no avail.

"Artemis!" whispered Holly. His voice sounded like-

"Opal?"

Artemis stopped kicking and looked at Holly with hate in her eyes. "Artemis is gone."

It was Opals voice, coming from Artemis mouth. The effect was scary.

"What?" growled Butler. "Opal is dead. We saw Opal with our own eyes. The black magic ate the flesh from her body."

"You fools!" spat Opal. "When you took Artemis's clone and let his soul enter, I entered too, and just stayed hidden for a bit. I had just enough magic left to keep my soul around, to wait. And you can't kill me, because if I die, Artemis's dies too."

Holly realized Opal was right. How would they be able to separate the two?

"Okay," said Butler, slowly. "I can't kill you, but I can tie you up and keep you from doing anything stupid."

He lumbered out the room, Opal shrieking obscenities, trying to wiggle lose, and making Artemis's legs kick, but Holly knew no one could get loose once Butler took a hold of you.

She grabbed her gun and darted downstairs, warning the boys to stay in the room and just go to sleep.

Myles shook his head as Holly left. "After what we seen, how can we sleep?"

Beckett shrugged. "I'm going down." He got up and ambled out, Myles following.

Butler took Artemis, kicking and shrieking down to the basement. Butler told Holly to take a key off the wall and unlock the cell where Holly had been kept, several years ago, when Artemis had been and evil genius, desperate to get his hands on fairy gold, to restore the Fowl wealth.

The cell had bed (nailed to the wall) and a chair (nailed to the floor). There was a toilet in the corner, and a sink. The chair had shackles and chains attached to it, and so did the bed.

"Who were you planning on imprisoning this time?" asked Holly.

"Me and Juliet built this," said Butler. "In case someone tried to rob us, or was around killing people or something."

He pushed Artemis into the chair and shackled him to it, despite the kicking and flailing. Once Artemis's legs and wrists were secures, he wrapped the chains around his torso.

"You think this will hold me?" Opal screeched, struggling to get out.

"Yes." Butler folded his meaty arms.

"What are you doing in his body?" asked Holly angrily. "How could you get in?"

"The clones body was empty, you dummy," said Opal. "I just used some magic to leech onto Artemis's soul and enter with him."

"You failed to open the lock and kill humanity!" said Holly. "Why can't you just-just-die and move on!"

"I will rule this world!" Opal shrieked. Artemis's cheeks turned pink. "It is my destiny to rule! You will not stop me!"

Holly ushered Butler out. Butler locked the door. They could see Artemis shaking and wriggling at the shackles, pink in the face, cursing.

"Butler." Holly's voice cracked. "What-what are we going to do?"

Butler looked older than ever, and sad. "I don't know."

Holly brightened. "I have an idea. Do you still have that vat of rendered animal fat? The one we almost put Myles in when that spirit was in him? If we put Artemis in it, it would trap Opal's soul, and Artemis would be free!"

"We don't have it anymore," said Butler, shoulders slumped. "It's gone."

Holly rubbed her eyes and cursed. "What are we going to do?"

Butler thought a moment. "Ask Foaly, he might know."

Becket and Myles clattered down the stairs.

"Opal is in Artemis?" asked Myles.

Holly looked at him. "Myles, I-"

"We heard the conversation," said Myles.

"Opal is bad! But I kicked her when that demon was in me!" piped up Beckett. "Let me beats her up again!"

"No, Beckett." Beckett frowned and Butler continued. "You would hurt Artemis."

Holly went and got her helmet and put it on, and sent an Email to Foaly.

"He'll be asleep by now," said Holly.

"Unless he's at the office, working late on something," said Butler.

"No." Holly shook her head. "Foaly's wife, Caballine likes him to be home. He won't get this until morning."

"So we have to keep Artemis chained until then?" asked Myles.

"I'm afraid so," said Butler.

"Butler? Holly?" the voice was faint, the walls of the room being of thick concrete.

Butler looked in the window. "I think the real Artemis is back."