Chapter 57

Gun Control

Holly's POV:

"Artemis, are you ready?" I shouted through his closed door, tapping my foot impatiently. Honestly, how long should it take a boy to get ready? Isn't this usually what guys complained about when dealing with girls?

Finally, the door swung open to reveal the mud boy. "Yes, Holly, I am ready for whatever misguided adventure you have decided to lead us on today." I wanted to argue, and correct him, but as usual he was right. Even the simplest things that we did somehow got turned upside down. Like the toads…nope. Not going to think about that. In fact, that incident is completely forgotten.

"Good," I grinned. "Let's go."

He nodded and slipped on his ring, instantly changing into Avian Sprout. For all of the world, he looked like an elf. Though to be honest, I don't see how anyone could talk to Arty and believe that he was a 'normal' elf. Or a normal anything for that matter.

We left my house, headed straight towards Police Plaza. It felt… nice. Arty right beside me, the sun warming my face ad the gentle breeze blowing through my hair. Nothing was better than this, and honestly I don't think anything could be. Good friends. Good weather. What more could a girl ask for?

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Artemis smirked.

"And you're not?"

"Of course. So far this is the best vacation that I have ever been on." I felt a warm feeling flow from my stomach to the rest of my body. After all of the vacations that his wealthy family went on, this was the best?

"Who are you and what have you done with the Artemis Fowl that I know?"

"Pardon me?"

I smirked up at him. "Well, you were actually almost sweet for a second there."

I could tell that Artemis really wanted to roll his eyes, but he managed to resist the urge. "I am always sweet, Holly. Kindness happens to be one of my most admirable traits second only to my intelligence." Nice to know that he's humble too. After all, such humility is the cornerstone of human behavior.

"Of course you are. I can tell." The two of us made our way into Police Plaza. Thankfully, we were able to make it through without anyone stopping us this time.

I led him through a side hall that led to a secondary hallway with only two doors. I turned slightly towards him. "Want to play a game?" For some reason, I was feeling rather mischievous today. Mischievous enough to tease him for all that it was worth.

"Why not?" he chuckled in a very becoming way. "Challenge me."

"Okay, as you can see there are two doors on this hall. One leads to our destination and the other leads elsewhere. Which door should we go through?"

Arty glanced at me and then at his choices. "Hmm," he murmured, a smile spreading across his face. "That one." He pointed to the one on the right.

"D'arvit! How do you do that?" Honestly, does he really have to know everything? For once, I'd love for him to be wrong. Just to prove that he was actually a human instead of the alien that I'm convinced is living inside of his body..

"Elementary my dear Holly. There was a fifty-fifty chance between doors. Add that to the statistic probability that things that are more important tend to be on the right. Thus raising the probability of the door being on the right. Couple that with the fact that you glanced at the door while asking the question leaves only one answer, the correct one."

"You are too smart for your own good."

"So I've been told," he smirked. As always, he politely opened the door and allowed me to go in before him.

We were now standing in a large circular room with doors spread equidistance from each other. We were standing directly across from the center. Of course, I was encouraged to go first to placate the young gentleman. I rolled my eyes but decided that for once I really didn't want to argue. I just wanted to get started.

This second room was smaller, more like the size of an Olympic swimming pool. I looked around at the small cart in the corner and the table in the center, making sure that we had everything that we needed.

"Watching a movie, are we?" he asked, taking in the remote and holographic projector.

As much as I hated to say it and prove him wrong… "Nope. We're going to continue your training today." Sort of…

Artemis frowned slightly, his face looking almost like he had been told that Christmas had been cancelled that year. "Delightful. More strenuous activity in which you find some way to attack me."

Now where would he get that idea? Am I really thought to be so violent? Did he really think that I was that bent on tackling him to the ground and wrestling him around? "I don't plan on attacking you. Instead, I'm going to teach you how to fire a neutrino."

Arty's signature one brow raised and he looked at me like I had gone temporarily insane. Or perhaps permanently so. "You want to teach me how to use a firearm?" Ugh, he has a way of taking things, saying them and making them sound ten times worse than they really are.

"Well yes. But it'll be fun."

"Holly, are you even allowed to bring someone down here to do this?" he asked. Obviously he was sure that he had me and would be able to get out of this. Not likely.

"Of course, I'm a major and you, my best friend, happen to have a sort of… diplomatic immunity," I beamed proudly, playing my trump card. "Surface dwellers aren't really bound by the red tape." Though to be fair, I am bound. But I'm known for being a rule-breaking loose-cannon cop. If we were caught then this would most likely blow off relatively quickly after some of my more… adventurous exploits.

"Yes, but as I am in the guise of a fairy, I am sure that this is neither legal nor ethical."

"You're still human," I murmured. It was impossible to forget, though at times it would make things… convenient. "Look. I wouldn't do anything to get you into trouble."

Artemis replied with a very undignified snort. Something that I never imagined I would hear from him. "You think it's for my own sake that I am so concerned?"

"Why else would you be so… worried?" Worried. Artemis and that word almost didn't belong in the same sentence. After all, Arty was nothing if not calmly assured of himself, and everything around him.

"Yours, of course. I have diplomatic immunity and nothing to lose. You on the other hand have everything to be taken away."

Artemis. He was so incredibly sweet. Sometimes it's so easy to forget, but he really does care more for his friends than himself. I looked into his eyes, making sure that we had a strong connection. "I promise you that nothing bad will come out of this." And I was sure that I was telling the truth. After all, what could happen?

He was silent for a moment. I could tell that he was mentally running through all of the possible outcomes for each and every scenario that came to his mind. All of a sudden, his eyes cleared. "Shall we get started?" I tried to restrain my smug sense of satisfaction at being right for once, but it didn't work very well.

I moved to the table, flipping the small switch that was hidden there. The center fell in, flipped around, and rose to reveal three sparkling black Neutrino 3000's. The one in the center was just a bit smaller than the others. It was mine, the 'feminine' gun. Though, I'll admit that it definitely did not look feminine when it was in my hand. I hefted my weapon with the practiced assurance of one who had been doing so for years.

"This is my Neutrino 3000," I explained. "Now, it's time for you to choose your own. Just pick one up and hold the trigger."

Arty complied, lifting and holding it like it was a dangerous snake waiting to attack him. He held the trigger until the formerly red light began to glow bright green. "Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of that weapon. As of now, that is a one mud man gun."

His eyes searched me, but he said nothing. It didn't take a genius to recognize that he was more than a little nervous. And I should have expected this. Artemis is not a 'gun' type of guy. He left that sort of thing to Butler. But I stood by my decision that it was important for him to actually know how to use one. Just in case. "Arty," I chastised. "You have to relax."

"I am very much relaxed, thank you." His voice was tight and irritable. He was in a mood that would not dissipate until we had finished. Delightful.

"You're lying."

Artemis's POV:

"You're lying," she said. All the while, I kept looking down at the weapon in my hand. As a genius I understand the complex workings of such a gun. However, as myself, I greatly dislike the thought of using one. It is a necessary evil in some cases and just an evil in others. Besides, my aim is so poor that it is highly likely that I will accidentally hit Holly.

"Perhaps."

"Look Artemis. Let's at least try this please. You have no idea how hard it is to get this place booked like this. Besides, you agreed to try new things on this trip." She knew me too well. It is to easy for her to guilt me into doing things that I'd rather not. What is it that gives her this power over me? Note to self: find the answer to that question.

"Very well, I agree." Yes, there are many excuses that I could made to end the entire venture. Yet, I could see that there was nothing that Holly wanted more than to show me the things that made her happy. I couldn't possibly hurt her. Before meeting her, I could have said that I had no weaknesses. Now, my inability to hurt her was my biggest weakness. Yet I must ask why can't I deny her?

She beamed at me, obviously surprised by the power that she had over one such as myself. I watched her elegant fingers dance across a data tablet, bringing up programs. "Try this one," she called.

Not too far in front of me appeared what was supposed to be a 'sinister elf.' His dark clothes, 'shifty' and leering eyes lent quite well to the supposed description. Though in my eyes, he was no more than an actor. In my time, I had faced real villains. And none of them had to look mean in able to be that way. They simply were. I told Holly as much, and she smiled, typing something else in.

This time a squat goblin appeared, holding balls of flames in its hands and licking its eyeballs. Not as threatening as one would think. Once again, I told Holly that it was not quite 'shot worthy'. After all, if one must use a gun then their target should be worth it.

"Okay Arty, I have one other loaded criminal. Be forewarned." She keyed in some type of code and the criminal in front of me changed for the third time.

My lips curled in disgust. The ebony hair, the manic gleam in her brown eyes, the confident smirk on her red lips. "Opal Koboi," I said. Yes, I'm well aware that it was just a holographic image, but after all of the things that she had done…

The death of Julius. The slobbering mouths of the trolls that were fighting to tear us apart and eat our flesh. Holly and No1 in that barrel of animal fat, and the sick expressions on their faces when they finally got out. Butler's heart attack because of the pressure that she put on his system. My mother… all of the trouble that she had caused. All of the pain that we had suffered at her hand. It was more than enough to make any person angry.

"I take it that's the one?" Holly asked quietly. I looked at her and could see the fire burning in her eyes. Anyone could see that this was what Holly used to practice her aim. This was her way of releasing all of those emotions. Not exactly healthy, but who am I to judge?

"Yes," I murmured. Psychologically speaking, hatred is unhealthy both mentally and physically. However, as one who has been forced to deal with Opal Koboi on many occasions, I can honestly say that it is deserved. Her countless evil acts and maniacal properties make it possible or rather easy to hate. "It is."

"Good. Now aim and fire." I held the neutrino poised at Opal. However, my hand was shaking slightly, and I knew that any shot that I made would go wide.

By large, I am not a violent person. I am the intelligent individual that employs the violent one. And as I have found, I could not shoot an elephant standing two feet in front of me. "I can't." That was a phrase that I had never used to apply to myself before this moment. After all, I am a genius. Everything in the world is at my fingertips. There is noting that I cannot do. Except shoot apparently.

"Just shoot her, Arty." She paused. "Remember how she tricked you. How she infected your mother."

Mother. Opal. She had led me down the emotional roller coaster of believing that my mother was dying. Her actions had caused my falling out with Holly. Her actions almost led to the extinction of an intelligent species….

The neutrino steadied itself and pulled the trigger. As expected, the shot went a bit wide and completely missed the hologram. "At least you fired," Holly encouraged. "Now, level your neutrino at Opal's stomach, aim, and fire."

I tried it again, missing once more. "You're doing great, Arty," she grinned encouragingly coming over to me. "But let me help you out a little."

She stood behind me, legs spread apart. She clutched my arms and wrapped hers around mine so that she was also holding the firearm.

Suddenly, I was overcome with a strong sense of irony and had to chuckle. "What's funny?" she demanded. I didn't have to turn around to see the blush that was spreading across Holly's lovely face. Interesting. She seemed wholly unaware of our situation.

"Our situation," I chuckled again.

She sighed huffily. "Would you care to explain it to the simple townsfolk?"

"This seems very much like the human movies where the male is standing behind the female and holding her body in an effort to teach her golf or some such sport, but in reality they are trying to initiate physical contact."

Holly laughed, her body sending tingling vibrations into mine. "So, I'm the male?"

"It would seem so."

"Well, you are girly enough." She joked. "Hmm, wouldn't that make you the girl that would pretend to be unable to even hit the ball but in reality you get a hole in one every time?"

Ah Holly. She still had the belief that I was capable of anything. Perhaps she was correct, but as I was slowly learning every human has his or her own shortcomings. Perhaps, I was no exception. "No, you'd like to think that, but I am jut as much of a novice as I seem."

"Yeah right," she mumbled.

"Let's move on with the lesson if you please."

"Of course." She used her hands to lift mine just a bit more and wrapped her fingers around mine before squeezing the trigger.

The small bolt of the neutrino flew out spiraling straight into Opal's stomach. The hologram grunted, grabbing at her abdomen before falling backwards to the ground. A second later, she was standing back in place as though nothing had happened.

"Good shot, Holly," I cheered.

"Now you try alone." She backed away from me slightly, letting me know that I was fully on my own. "Relax your shoulders, open your legs, and just let go. Do it exactly like I showed you."

I complied, letting my shoulders go loose and my legs spread. I took another deep breath before squeezing the trigger and letting the burst spread out. It actually made contact with her chest, and I felt a rush of satisfaction as she fell backwards. Holly was right. This was enjoyable.

"Great shot, Arty," she grinned, her eyes shining with pride.

Within the hour, I had a ten out of ten shot range. At first, I'll admit it was difficult. But when one thought about it, the whole process was nothing more than simple physics. The likes of which I had been able to do since the third grade. Though, I still had a very awkward stance that was almost nothing like Holly's.

"Good job," Holly congratulated again. "Why don't we step it up a bit?"

I looked at her, my brow raised. "What exactly did you have in mind?" My throat constricted slightly as I watched the evil grin stretch across her face.

She typed something else in on the data tablet and a frightening gun appeared in Koboi's hand. Next, she typed something else and the hologram began darting around the room about to fire.

"Commence Attack sequence." Holly drew her own neutrino primed and ready to fire.

I glanced back over at the hologram in just enough time to see her squeeze the trigger of her weapon. It was aimed straight at me and there was nothing that I could do as the bolt came towards me. The impact that came to me was not the shock that I was accustomed to. Rather, it was soft like being hit by one of the twins' rubber balls. "It didn't hurt," I remarked.

"Of course not," she smirked. "It's a training program. We can't hurt the cadets this early, now can we?"

"I suppose not."

"Just try to hit her, kay?"

Holly and I ran along the room, our weapons mowing Opal down. Holly was perfect, moving fluidly and managing to never get hit. I, on the other had, felt the tingle quite a few times. However, I soon learned the pattern of the shots and was able to avoid them quite easily.

After about an hour, Holly cut off the machine. "That was fun."

"Violent rather."

"But you enjoyed it. In fact, you even stopped getting shot."

I smirked to myself. Ah, intelligence beat brawns any day. "Yes, because I was able to find a pattern. In a real fire fight, I'd truly be at a disadvantage."

Holly stopped in her tracks. "Pattern?"

"Yes, it's a computer program. They cannot think independently. Most programmers are lazy and use loops to accomplish work that would take too much time, energy, or intelligence."

"Foaly designed this system," she said with barely repressed giggles.

"I'm well aware."

A/N:

Well, that's another chapter down! Yay! You'll be happy to know that while I've been away I've actually been busy. So busy that I actually finished writing this story. Thank you. Your love is very much appreciated. ;)

So, I know this chapter was not up to my usual standard. Just be patient. Things get back to normal with the next chapter. Be patient and stick with it.

Rest assured that I am working on this story quite a bit. I haven't abandoned anything, and don't plan on it. The next chapter should be coming up soon... hopefully. So, in the mean time, you guys should check out my other stories. They're pretty good, I think.

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Yours truly, madly, and deeply,

Einstinette