Hey guys! Wow, I never expected so many reviews! Thank you all soooo much! I think I should say pretty please more often!! :D
(Coughs and shuffles nervously) yeah...I just want to say sorry for the most HORRIFIC spelling mistake in the history of my writing. Thank you, Kitsune Heart, for pointing it out to me. I am terribly sorry! If my favourite English teacher had seen that, his soul would have died! I meant 'seen', not 'sawn', and I am still disgusted by it...I knew there was something wrong, but my mind was elsewhere, as you can clearly see!
But moving on, I decided to launch this chapter earlier than I first intended. I just had these major ideas that I just had to put down!
Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!
Meeting Persephone
The rest of the matches continued on through the period, and the players played their hearts out, enjoying the afternoon. The students eventually forgot Eve's strange disappearance, and to be honest, most of them didn't care. Hell, some were even glad! Her hard and often violent throws and snatches hurt some of the players, including the boy who had caught the ball she had aimed at Holly. After he had scored the goal he sat in the stands, cradling his swollen hand. Luke had taken Eve's place as team captain, but he wasn't very good at it. He kept staring off into the distance, trying to catch a glimpse of her somewhere. But he eventually gave a hope and slumped where he stood, shaking his head sadly. The sight had sent a lump straight into Holly's throat.
Artemis eventually decided to have a go at it, and he was just about to catch a ball that Holly had thrown to him when the whistle blew, and the coach indicated for him to leave the court.
Artemis frowned, but then he saw the cell phone in the coach's hand, and he hurried off the court, the eyes of the players glued to him. Some turned to snicker at Holly, who was frowning at him, obviously confused.
Artemis came up to the coach and cocked a slim eyebrow, staring at the cell phone. The coach blew his whistle and the game carried on, a new player taking his place besides Holly, and the elf scowled, obviously not enjoying the new company.
The coach shut his cell phone and turned to the waiting teenager.
"You have a visitor at the gates. Apparently he has something important to give you."
Artemis smiled, and he nodded, beginning to turn towards the gym door.
"And don't take your sweet time, Mr Fowl. I know you love bunking my lessons, and I want you back her ten minutes before the lesson ends."
Artemis nodded again, and jogged to the door. He walked briskly towards the school gates in the distance, going along shortcuts and paths.
But something caught his eye. He stopped, and looked behind himself, glancing into the forest around him.
The shadows didn't seem natural. They were longer, spreading out their dark, smoky hands to grab him. The sunlight didn't even seem to filter through the trees, leaving the forest in impenetrable darkness.
Artemis shivered, and he began to make his way for the gates, moving faster and faster each second till he was running and breathing heavily as he tore through the forest path.
Finally he came out the forest, and he reached the gates, panting. The side gate was open, and he stepped through it, making his way towards a black Bentley parked at the end of the drive.
The driver's door opened, and Butler climbed out the car smiling at Artemis.
The boy felt his knees go weak, and relief flooded him; threatening to bring him to his knees. Butler was like a pillar to him, and his presence immediately made him feel better.
The bodyguard embraced Artemis briefly before stepping back to examine him, his eyes serious.
"You sounded quite angry on the phone yesterday, Artemis. What was that all about?"
Artemis shook his head, trying to form all that had happened into a quick summery.
"Butler, I can't even begin to describe how horrid this has all turned out. Holly came here yesterday, and she is currently undercover here, posing as a student."
Butler cocked an eyebrow at him.
"That doesn't sound bad to me. Hell, you'd probably enjoy every minute of it!"
Artemis blushed before continuing, trying to bring the terrifying point across.
"Old friend, that's not even the half of it. Holly's been attacked multiple times by something...or someone. He only comes after her, and from her description, he appears to be more terrifying than anything she has ever faced."
He froze, trying to push down the lump in his throat. He took a deep breath, and turned back to his friend, his eyes stinging.
"And the worst part is...I can't see him, Butler! How can I help her fight against something only she can see? I-I need to do something!"
Butler nodded, but he was frowning heavily, his mighty forehead creased.
"And a gun is going to make it better? How can you shoot something that technically isn't there?"
Artemis clenched his fists, and he glanced back at the school, his eyes filled with burning hate.
"I know he's there. The shadows aren't normal. They seem to reach out and grab you, and I feel him everywhere we go. He's watching us, and if he comes at us again, I think I can get a pretty good idea where he is."
Butler nodded, "Fine, I'll give you that, but what about the other one, the supposed assassin you first spoke about?"
Artemis smiled wryly, the smile scaring even Butler.
"That's the thing, old friend. I think I have a brief theory on how this works."
Butler waited for Artemis to continue, and when he didn't he rolled his eyes and asked.
"Well? What's the theory?"
"I thought you'd never ask! Well, Opal is the one behind all this, that fact we know. But I have another theory. This 'assassin' is not the weapon, but in fact, the middle man."
Butler's eyes widened and he stared at Artemis in disbelief.
"So what you're basically saying is someone is controlling that...thing that keeps attacking Holly?"
Artemis clapped his hands together, grinning, though his eyes contained no sign of mirth.
"Exactly. Because think, if Opal was going to have an assassin, why would she choose a child? A teenager in the middle of high school couldn't possibly kill a grown fairy, unless she happened to have some very special abilities. She's the middle man in this operation, the controller and the controlled. She's the one controlling the attacks."
Butler frowned, then narrowed his eyes, giving the teenager a hard once over.
"She? You say it like you're certain. Do you have an idea who it is?"
The teenager shook his head, "Not really. I have some ideas...but they're so outrageous I'm too scared to even consider them...she'd my friend, she wouldn't dare do it..."
Butler nodded, knowing instantly who he was referring to. Eve had been friends with Artemis for a year already, and he often spoke of her, discussing the girl's strange actions and likings.
Butler walked over to the car and opened the passenger door. He took out a large, black metal case, and he placed it on the hood of the car. He motioned for Artemis to join him, and the teenager came over to stand next to him. The prodigy's stomach twisted at the sight of the huge case, and he shivered inwardly.
Butler placed his hand on the case and turned to look at Artemis. His face was deathly serious, and Artemis felt a spear of doubt pierce his stomach, making him feel sick.
"Are you sure you want to do this? This isn't the same as those air guns and small pistols you're accustomed to. This thing is deadly, Artemis."
Artemis looked at the case, and he tried to think about all the reasons he wanted it. He saw Holly, frozen in terror, her eyes filled with horrified tears. He saw Eve, running across the court, sobbing brokenly after she had come within inches of breaking her friend's neck. He saw the shadows leering at him, as if daring him to fight back. He saw Holly's chest, bruises the size of coins marring her sensitive skin. He heard her sobbing, crying and screaming in terror. He saw her torn and broken on the ground, her head bleeding from the impact on the tiles.
Artemis' eyes narrowed, and he nodded, holding out his hand.
Butler sighed, and he unlocked the case, clicking it open.
Artemis peered into the case, and a strangled gasp escaped him as he saw his new gun for the first time.
The gun was huge, bigger than anything he had ever held before in his life. It was a sleek, black, stainless steel WW1 Colt, with the name engraved on the side in silver. A name was written on the bottom below the Colt logo, and Artemis leaned in too look at it.
"Persephone..."
Butler nodded, smiling slightly, "I thought you'd like to name it after her. Beautiful, but dangerous. Pretty elegant way to die, don't you think?"
Artemis chuckled, and he came to the point where he began to wonder about the weight.
"How am I supposed to pick it up? This gun must weigh a ton!"
Butler shrugged and picked it up, holding it at arm's length. He aimed it and slid the slide back, cocking it.
"Smooth, beautiful and quick. This gun is a true work of art. I do love old guns. This one may be from World War one, but damn, it's a good gun. Superior than the others of its time. This beauty is a true marvel!"
Artemis nodded, and he nearly jumped when Butler held Persephone out to him, waiting for him to take it.
Artemis gave a nervous gulp, and he reached out, touching the handle tentatively before curling his fingers around it and pulling it towards himself.
The gun slid out of Butler's large hand, and Artemis frowned, lifting the gun up.
"It's not bad, old friend. Heavy, but I can handle it. That is quite a shock, isn't it?"
Butler chuckled, patting Artemis on the shoulder.
"You've grown. What more can you say? You're nearly a man now."
Artemis nodded, and he held the gun out before him, aiming it at a tree.
"I guess this is where all my target practice comes into play, isn't it?"
After the Opal encounter, Artemis had began to practice with guns even more than before. From having less eye co-ordination than a cardboard box, he could finally shoot a target, and the teenager had been positively delighted when he shot his first bulls eye, blasting a hole straight through his target.
If that had been a person, he would have died before he even hit the ground.
Artemis cocked the gun, sliding it into place. A loud click rang out, and he took aim, one hand clenched at his side.
Artemis took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and pulled the trigger.
A loud crack ripped through the air, and a hole appeared in the tree at about chest level. Splinters flew in every directing, and Artemis stared at the gun with wide eyes in disbelief.
Butler chuckled, watching the boy genius with a smile.
"Dangerous, isn't it?"
Artemis scoffed, an excited smile spreading across his face.
"It's perfection! The recoil sent my breath away! And it's beautiful too! Very worthy of the name!"
"Black widow pretty, right?"
Artemis chuckled, holding the gun in both hands. He slid a finger across the beautiful name, and he smiled, considering the irony of it all.
"Exactly."
Butler smiled, and he reached for the case again. He opened up a side compartment in the case, and he drew out a long, black clip, holding it out to Artemis.
Artemis eyed the clip; one eyebrow raised a t the size of it, "So that's the bullets it uses?"
"Yes. I must say, your request was...unusual. Silver bullets are hard to find, and you have no idea how long it took me to find a priest who would bless them for me. Funny, don't you think, that priests don't like bullets?"
Artemis smiled, and he took a bullet out the clip. It had a long silver tip, and a golden metal outer casing, the two colours flashing in the sunlight. It was about 10mm, and they seemed to weigh quite a bit, but not enough to hinder his aim.
"What type of rounds are they?" he asked, placing the bullet back in the clip.
"Well, you have two choices. The one, which I think you'll approve of, is an incendiary round. Whatever you shoot with those will never get back up again. Someone will have to be sent out to pick up the pieces."
Artemis winced, but he nodded. It was necessary, and at times like these, the more dangerous the round the better.
"And the other?"
"Just an average round. Not as good as the incendiaries, but hey, you should at least have another option open."
"And these are the incendiary rounds?" he asked, lifting up the clip Butler had given him.
"Yes. The ones in the gun are the average rounds. That explains why you didn't punch a fist sized hole in that poor tree."
Artemis nodded, and he came to the question he dreaded most.
"How many clips do I have?"
"Five of each, but I don't think you'd need that many, since each clip has nine rounds in it. It's not like you're going into war."
Artemis nodded, but he knew better. He'd be needing every bullet he had.
"Thank you, old friend. Do you have a holster for me?"
Butler nodded, and took a shoulder holster out his suit pocket. Artemis nodded and took it, placing it in the case along with Persephone and all the new clips he received. But he left the average clips behind.
Butler cocked an eyebrow at him, questioning the move.
"Sorry old friend, but the ones we're fighting against are anything but average."
Butler nodded and closed the case, handing it to him.
"Please don't shoot you foot off. The last thing I want to do is give you exploding bullets and you go and shoot your own foot."
Artemis nodded and took the case, holding it at his side.
"Don't worry, old friend. I'll take good care of it."
He smiled reassuringly before turning back to the school, leaving the old bodyguard to watch him disappear into the forest, the black case shining in the sunlight before disappearing into the forest, seeming even darker than the shadows that recoiled from it, fearful of the blessed bullets it contained.
Holly and Artemis sat on the stands in the gym, resting against one another. They had changed into their school uniforms, and were spending some quality time together. Students passed by beneath them, often stopping to watch them. They were shocked that Artemis even had a girlfriend, and they had never expected him to have a girlfriend like Holly.
But neither of them cared. Holly had her head rested in his lap, her arms curled up beneath her. Artemis stroked the hair on her head, talking softly to her.
"You okay?" he murmured, kissing her hand gently.
Holly nodded, deep in thought. She remembered the look in Eve's eyes as she threw the ball at her, and she remembered the tears in the girl's eyes as she examined her, horrified by what she'd done.
"Where did you go?"
Artemis hesitated briefly, wondering what she would say if he told her. He wasn't going to lie again, he had learnt his lesson about that, but he wasn't going to tell her everything.
"I got a visit from Butler. He just wanted to check that we're alright."
Holly smiled at the memory of her big friend, and she lifted her head out of his lap to look at him. Once again she took his breath away, and he found his heart beating faster with each second that passed.
"How is he? What did you tell him?"
"He's fine. But he's worried. I told him everything, and he wanted to take us with him."
Holly sat up, and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in close.
"And? What did you say?"
Artemis tried to think, but all he could concentrate on was her lips, so temptingly close to his. Her warm breath tickled his skin, and he shivered from the heat.
"I told him no. I said we need to stay here and face the problem head on. And I'm not leaving you behind."
Holly smiled, and she kissed him, pressing her lips hungrily to his. He smiled against her lips and kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist.
The students watching at the bottom of the stands grinned, and roared their approval, clapping and cheering.
Artemis and Holly pulled away, gasping for breath. They both blushed to the roots of their hair, and they refused to look at the cheering crowd beneath them.
"Damn spectators. Always waiting for a show," Artemis growled, shaking his head. His one hand snaked around Holly to reach into the left side of his blazer, making sure Persephone was still out of the viewers' line of sight.
"Well then we shouldn't disappoint them, should we? And besides, I still owe you."
Artemis couldn't argue with her logic, and she pressed him to the bench beneath them, kissing him passionately.
Bliss...Was the only thing he could think as he drifted into a world of pleasure, kissing the elf was ill concealed love and passion.
Artemis and Holly left the gym, walking arm in arm. They'd left their sports bags in their lockers, deciding to pick them up later. The couple walked down the path to the dormitories, laughing and talking about blissfully neutral topics. They didn't even mention the drama from earlier, and they walked together, smiling happily at one another. They knew it wouldn't last, and they wanted to make the best of it, enjoying every moment they had together.
Holly danced a head, doing little cartwheels, and dancing just out of her partners reach. When it became too much, he'd try to reach out and grab her, but she'd dance out his grasp, laughing happily.
Artemis laughed, and he stopped to look around them, admiring the nature. Holly came to stand at his side, wrapping an arm around his waist lovingly. They were standing by the forest, the back of the girls' dormitory to their right and the forest to their left.
"How long do you think this will last?" she murmured, rubbing his back affectionately.
Artemis turned to look at her, cocking an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? You don't intend on dying soon, do you?"
The elf shook her head, her smile gone.
"No, Arty. I mean us. When this is all over, and that is, if we do make it out alive, what will we do? Will I just go back underground, leaving you on the surface?"
Artemis hadn't considered that, and the subject terrified him. He grabbed her wrists and pulled them to his chest, holding them for dear life.
"I don't want you to leave me again! Every time we finish a mission, you leave me, going back to the People. I then spend a year away from you, praying and pleading for something to go wrong so I can see you just one more. Gods Holly, you don't know how much it hurts me. How can people keep up a relationship if the only times they can see each other is when the world is threatened?"
"But Arty, I do know! I feel the same way! Do you think I take sick pleasure in leaving you behind? It makes me want to scream! It feels like my heart is being ripped apart every time I have to leave you behind! I hate it!"
Artemis shook his head, his eyes bright with hope.
"Then don't! You can work on the surface as a surface operative, undercover here! You can stay at the Manor, and we can live together! The fairies need an elf on the surface that they can rely on to be there when something goes wrong! You spend almost all your missions on the surface! What difference would it make?"
Holly looked so torn, but her eyes finally focused, and she nodded, smiling.
"I'll see, Arty. But I can't guarantee it."
Artemis smiled, and he kissed her before replying.
"But I can guarantee one thing. I'll do whatever it takes to stay with you. I'll find a way, but whatever I do, I'll do it with you."
Holly smiled, and she kissed his neck, smiling against his skin as she tucked her head under his chin.
They stood like this for what felt like an eternity, enjoying the company of one another.
But something made Holly stiffen. She looked at the shadows in the forests, and she shivered, watching with wide eyes as they reached out, slithering across the grass in the form of black tendrils.
Then, something inside her screamed, ordering her to turn to the dormitory. She felt the familiar feeling of someone watching, and she turned her head, looking over Artemis' shoulder to gaze at the dormitory, and her eyes caught a small glint in one of the windows.
The familiar glint of light reflecting off of a stainless steel gun barrel.
Holly's eyes went wide, and she watched the barrel move as it was cocked into life.
Only one thought shot through her mind. She had to move Artemis. His back was open to the sniper, and he wasn't even aware of gun aimed right between his shoulder blades.
Time seemed to slow down for the elf, and a plan formed in her mind. It was desperate, but wasn't it always? There was no time for anything, and diving was out of the question. Even if they did get out the way, they'd just get mown down with gun fire a few seconds later.
There was only one option.
She moved with lightning speed, wrapping her arms around Artemis' back. She pressed her lips to his and spun them around, just as shotgun fire filled the air.
Artemis gasped as he heard the shot, and he was just about to pull away when Holly screamed, her lips pulling away from his. Blood spilled from her open mouth, dripping down her chin as she screamed in total agony. Blood spilled out onto her uniform, turning it as red as her school skirt.
Artemis watched in horror as Holly fell, falling to the ground with a thump. Blood sprouted from wounds in her back from the shotgun shrapnel, and she lay twitching on the grass, blood painting the green, grass shoots red.
Artemis let out a cry of horror, and he dropped down to her twitching form. Sparks were already rushing to heal the wounds, but even Artemis knew it wasn't enough.
Artemis let out a choked sob, and he turned to look at the girls' dormitory.
There, at the nineteenth window on the second floor. A gun barrel was sticking out the open window, the sniper hidden by a dark curtain that didn't look natural. It was like a huge curtain made of shadows.
Artemis turned back to Holly, ignoring the sniper. He racked his brains, searching for a solution that just wouldn't come.
Unless...
It was a desperate, almost insane notion, but it could just work. They'd done it before, and he knew the trick well.
Oh gods Holly, please be as predictable as I hope you are!
He turned her over onto her side, and he grabbed her shirt and ripped it open, revealing her ample chest to the sky. A small, silver chain hung around her neck, and there, nestled in the glass shell was a small, brown acorn.
It wasn't the acorn from all those years ago, but instead a new one. Holly had begun collecting spare acorns on each run ever since her return from the past, and that simple act of superstition and weariness was the thing that would come to save her life.
Artemis grabbed the necklace and ripped it away from her before placing her back on the grass, her back to the sky. He broke the casing and tipped the contents onto the grass, letting out a gasp of delight as the brown acorn fell onto the grass.
He prepared to reach for it, but he felt a cold presence before him, and he looked up, a scowl forming on his lips.
The dark man stood before him, his fists clenched. He sneered at the dying form of Holly, enjoying the sight of the elf in such a horrific state. He then turned to her partner, his eyes shining bright with excitement. But he spotted the acorn on the grass, and his eyes flashed in confusion before narrowing angrily.
He grinned wickedly at him, lifting a booted foot to trample the acorn.
Artemis saw nothing but darkness before him. But it was enough for him. He knew who was standing before him.
Artemis reached his right hand into the left side of his blazer, snarling at the shadow before him. He grabbed his new gun, Persephone, by the handle, and he withdrew it, bring it up and over.
He pointed it straight into the shadows, cocking it. A merciless click filled the air, and he aimed for the centre of the shadows, his eyes burning with hate.
The man stared at the gun in pure shock, and as Artemis pulled the trigger, he reared back, hissing as the bullet buried itself in his flesh.
The man howled, blood pouring from the wound in his stomach. He doubled over and howled in rage and pain, the blessed silver burning him mercilessly.
Artemis glared into the shadows, knowing he had hit his target. The shadows convulsed and twisted, and he swore he saw a dark drop of red blood fall to the grass, sinking into the soil.
"Take that, you heartless prick," he growled, watching in anger as the shadows retreated into the forest.
He dropped his gun onto the grass, and he turned back to Holly. She had stopped twitching, and a few blue sparks were dancing on her skin, making a half hearted attempt to heal her.
He placed one hand on her back, and he took a death breath, digging deep within himself.
Nothing came at first, but he suddenly felt something warm stir inside him. He felt his heart leap as the warmth spread through his body, and his fingers began to tingle.
Suddenly, blue sparks began to snake down his arm, shooting into Holly's bleeding back. They danced happily on her skin, staunching the bleeding and lapping up the blood.
Artemis smiled, and he plucked the acorn off the grass. He placed it in Holly's hand, and he reached out for his midnight black gun.
He grabbed it and pointed it at the ground. He fired a round into the soil, and dirt flew into the air as the 10mm bullet tore the ground apart.
A fist sized hole nestled in the grass, and with a silent prayer, Artemis stuck the elves hand into the rich earth.
"I return you to the earth, and claim the gift that is my right!"
For a horrifying minute, nothing happened. Artemis shook his head, pleading that it would work.
"No, no, no! Don't do this to me now, please!"
He was about to cry out, when he froze, noticing something small and blue.
A tiny blue spark was slithering along the soil, moving at a snail's pace. It reached Holly's finger and froze, hesitating before it disappeared into her finger.
With a flash, sparks burst into life, swimming around Holly. Artemis stumbled back, nearly pulling Persephone's trigger in shock. Sparks danced around him, the earth topping him up with beautiful fairy magic.
He stared at his hand for a second before turning to Holly. He gasped, as he saw her, and he ran to her side, his eyes wide.
Holly lay on her face, her hair on end. Sparks danced on her back, turning it into a large pool of glowing blue light. Her wounds shone brighter than the healthy skin, as magic filled her up, topping her magic stores up and healing her shot gun wounds.
Suddenly, the magic stopped, and Holly fell back onto the grass, gasping. Her eyes flashed open, and she coughed, spitting out access blood.
She got to her knees and sat up, but was almost bawled over when Artemis grabbed her shoulders, holding her at arm's length to examine her.
"Holly! Oh gods, I thought it wouldn't work!"
Holly frowned at him, and she looked at her newly sealed wounds.
"How did you do it? There are no oak trees or rivers here!"
Artemis grinned mischievously, "Yes, I believe there is."
Holly was about to argue, but Artemis patted the ground, indicating downwards.
Holly stared at him for a moment, before her eyes went wide in understanding.
"An underground river system? You must be joking!"
Artemis laughed, and he helped her to her feet.
"Nope. There's a small underground river right below here. And it curves and bends like a snake. I saw the land planning once, and it had a diagram of the river on it. We pump our water from it!"
Holly shook her head in amazement, before freezing, as she suddenly remembered why she had been injured in the first place.
The elf spun around, just in time to see the shotgun barrel disappear behind the shadowy curtain. Holly let out a growl, and she reached for her bag, which had fallen when she got shot.
She grabbed it and dug around, drawing out her Neutrino Blaster. Her shirt was still stained with blood, and her blazer was riddled with tiny jagged holes.
"Looks like you'll need a new blazer and shirt."
Holly huffed, cocking the Neutrino as she prepared to make a run for the dormitory entrance.
"Don't worry, I have spares."
Artemis laughed, and he picked his gun up, following Holly as she ran around the building. The elf didn't seem to have noticed Persephone in her 'healing after daze' and her haste, and he was pretty glad about that.
The elf's neutrino was shoved into her pocket as she ran around the corner, and Artemis did the same, stuffing his onyx black Colt in his shoulder holster.
The couple burst through the doors to the girls' dormitory, and as they ran past a corner, Holly shoved off her blazer and threw it into the corner.
As they tore up the stairs, they kept a look out for other students. They saw none, and realized the students must all be t dinner. Seeing this fact, Holly drew her Neutrino, but Artemis kept his gun hidden. Holly's gun could be passed off as a laser cannon if caught, but it would be a little harder to explain away a WW1 colt with silver bullets inside.
They counted the doors as they went, till they finally reached nineteen. Holly stood before the door, took a deep breath, and kicked the door with as much force as possible.
The door slammed into the wall as it shot open, the inner handle taking a large chip off the wall. Holly stepped inside, doing a 360 degree sweep of the room.
No one jumped out at her, and no shadows grabbed her. The room was completely empty.
Holly scowled, ramming her Neutrino back into her bag. She searched the room for evidence, examining the window thoroughly. She slammed the open window closed, angry that they had not made it in time.
Artemis stood by the door, his eyes drifting up and down the corridor. Once, he could have sworn he had seen a pair of glowing red eyes watching him from the shadows, and he once heard an ominous click, like the loading of a shotgun clip.
Finally Holly came out, holding a spent shotgun shell in her hand.
The metal casing was onyx black, like it was formed from the shadows. Silver engravings marked the sides, and the bullet appeared to be about 12 mm long.
Artemis gave a long, drawn out whistle at the sight of it, and his eyebrows shot up.
"Looks like someone likes taking their jobs too seriously. That thing is massive!"
Holly pocketed the shell as evidence, and they prepared to make their way back along the corridor when Holly heard a loud, angry hiss behind her.
She spun around, reaching for her bag, but a hand clamped around her throat, slamming her into the wall.
Her shadowy attacker squeezed her throat mercilessly, making Holly gasp out. She struggled in his grasp, but he only squeezed her harder, his red eyes filled with malicious rage.
"You should have died today, Holly Short! But I'll kill you and send you and your partner down to the deepest pits of hell!" he growled, banging her repeatedly into the wall.
Holly screamed in pain and horror, but she heard a growl next to her, and she turned her head slightly, letting out a gasp at what she saw.
Artemis was reaching into his blazer, his eyes filled with rage. He drew out a long, midnight black handgun, the long barrel sliding effortlessly out of its holster.
He lifted the point of the gun skywards, holding it in place for a second before bringing it down, cocking it as it fell level with his eyes. A loud click filled the air, and the sound seemed filled with vicious intent.
"Let her go, before I riddle you with so many bullets you'll be able to be picked up on radar," he growled, his wicked looking gun aimed right for the monsters chest.
The man gave a hiss, his eyes filled with horror and anger at the sight of the gun and the bullets it contained. He dropped the paralysed elf, and began to move towards Artemis, his hand raised to strike.
But Artemis wasn't done.
Two loud bangs filled the air, and the man howled in pain, clutching his left shoulder. Blood spurted from the wounds, and the man, hissed, blood leaking from his fingers.
Holly stood there, staring up at the howling man. Never, in all the times she had tried to hurt him, and she seen him so vulnerable and in so much pain. The sight filled her with new hope, but with it came fear that was the only way to hurt him. How could she ever inflict that much damage?
The man let out a growl, and cast one last glare at Holly before disappearing into the shadows, leaving a small pool of blood on the ground where he had been, which soon disappeared, almost seeming to be eaten up by the shadows.
Holly panted, and she slid down the wall, sinking to her knees. Her hands were shaking, and her eyes were as wide as saucers.
Artemis dropped the gun to his side, and he let out a tired gasp as he too dropped to his knees, and he placed Persephone on the ground, not touching it.
Holly stared at it in amazement before looking up at Artemis, her eyes wide.
"Where, in the name of Frond, did you get that!?"
Artemis chuckled breathlessly, shaking his head as he stared at the black gun, reading the words engraved on the side facing him.
"A parting gift from Butler. Fitting, wouldn't you agree?"
Written in silver letters on the sides, was a large, engraved message that he hadn't noticed before, running from the hilt to the very end.
̴ Bringing Peace to the Damned ̴
Oh, the irony.
Tah Dah!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I know some of you must be thinking, "Why give Arty such an old fashioned gun?", but believe me, that gun is very good looking, and it looks very modern to me! Usually the others just look rugged and ugly and I didn't want him to use those, so I made him use a good old Colt, which is apparently a very good weapon. I had to spend AGES looking for the right one, and when I found it, I was originally going to make my original character use it, but I decided that if Demetri can use it, so can Arty! And if you're wondering why no one came running when they should have heard gun fire, the answer is relatively simple. They were too far away. It would have sounded just like little popping noises, and I'm sure the students won't really care about it. They are eating dinner at the highschool, which is some distance away from the dormitories.
Also, you may be wondering why Luke likes Eve so much, and that is because he has been looking for someone who genuinely likes him for a long time, and finding Eve now is like a gift straight from heaven. And the fact that they share the same tastes and likings makes him even more enthusiastic. And hey, boys will be boys!
Also, 'Incendiary rounds' are bullets that explode on impact. Some explode while others...well; let's just say that if you value your body parts when they are INSIDE your body, then you DON'T want to be shot by them!( shivers at thought) (I mean, who does?) And who wants to get shot anyway? I most certainly don't!
Anyway, more will be revealed in the next chapter, and I have a special visit planned for Eve. (Rubs hand in delight with an evil grin) She's going to get some serious payback for her crimes!
And there is a major clue as to who the shadow stalkers identity is in this chapter! See if you can start guessing as to who and what he is!
Oh, and Persephone is the Queen of the Underworld and the wife of Hades, God of the Dead in Greek mythology. She is also the Goddess of Spring, and she brought an amount of peace to the Underworld, and she was kind, but also firm and unrelenting. Hence the message, 'Bringing Peace to the Damned'. I find it ironic that his gun would be named Persephone, and he uses it to fight darkness. Also, isn't Holly like Persephone, changing Hades (Arty) and bringing out his softer side? Think about it! I got the idea from one of my favourite authors ever, Holly Marie Fowl! Thank you so much for the idea, Holls! Come on people, give her credit where it's due! :)
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! I do hope it was better than the last one (it was most definitely longer)! And thank you for all the reviews! I really appreciate it! And thank you to all of you who added my story to their favourites list! You guys are awesome!
Damn, there are a lot of add on notes in this chapter! :D
See you soon! I'll update after Christmas! Have an awesome Christmas day!