Mode Gakuen Tower, Shinjuku
Undisclosed Location
Two Minutes Before
23:09 PM
Now, you're probably wondering, How did Artemis get himself into this situation? If you were thinking, He's too smart to get into this situation again! you'd be correct. So then your next thought might be, So why would he do this? Two reasons: He needed to, and he wanted to. Granted, it wasn't the best situation to be in, but if you needed to access the Yakuza's bank accounts, records, names, text messages, hideouts and just about any other information related in and around them, the best way would be from the inside out.
Artemis had a suspicion the Yakuza had a hiding point in the tower for a few reasons: the tower contained three educational institutions and was essentially ignored in terms of the government, outside of the clean funds that run separately from the tower itself; The top three floors of the Mode Gakuen Tower were quiet on every blueprint and map available online, but with a little hacking and black market information, the original blueprints showed a 360 floor plan of four flours beneath the helipad on the fiftieth; the tower was located in Nishi-Shinjuku, just eight minutes away from Kabukichō, the red light district well-known for its heavy Yakuza presence; and finally, the state of the art security system would be almost impenetrable for any hackers trying to break into the Yakuza's laundering scheme. Almost.
And so, after several hours of being unconscious and finally awakening, Artemis had put himself in a less than optimal situation, now bound to a chair with thick sisal ropes carving sores into his cool skin. He technically wasn't fully conscious at the moment either, the white-tiled floor below him like a blurred blizzard. Artemis blinked several times as he came to, realizing his body was drooped forward, only held upright by his tight bounds.
"Okiteru (He's up)," a deep voice in front of Artemis boomed.
And as everything around him started to fall back to Earth, Artemis was greeted with a piercing ache that stabbed a dull pain into his shoulder blades, skull, and windpipe. His mouth felt dry and his eyes were heavy and hard to keep open. As far as he was concerned, he didn't feel too injured, nothing seemed broken, but he didn't want to stay too long and go through menu of torture methods.
Artemis tried to touch his hands, but they were tied to the chair and not together. It's fine. Just improvise. He reached his right thumb over his right ring finger, about to flip the com open on the large sapphire ring when his body was jolted forward, his fingers slipping over each other.
A large man held Artemis forward by his coat's collar before thrusting him backwards, stopping the careening chair with a handful of Artemis' hair. This behemoth of a man yanked his hair back, forcing the genius' head to look up at the men before him. At least six Yakuza in plum tuxedos looked either bored or irritated with Artemis' presence as they hung out in the dark hallway in front of him, an elevator shaft with blinking red lights at the end of the far wall. The number rested on 42.
Look around. Take in everything you see. The room he was actually in was bright under fluorescent lights, and it took Artemis a few seconds to register the long desks and rolling chairs: a classroom set-up, with him front and center. Ironic.
"Can we be civil, gentlemen?" Artemis asked, almost baiting them as his dazed eyes focused on the man closest to him. "Or does there need to be a fight?"
The man closest to him glanced, his face serious and uninterested. "Are you asking me to beat the shit out of you?" He looked at his men confused. "What a fucking weirdo."
Some men laughed, some weren't amused. The man approached Artemis with an aloof air about him and refused to meet his gaze. "You speak good Japanese. Where did you learn it?"
"I taught myself mostly," Artemis answered confidently, a light smirk on his lips. He glanced down and noticed the man was missing two fingers, gold rings adorning the others. "So, thank you."
"You little shit," the man laughed, glancing at Artemis now. "It's always a treat to hear gaijin speak so well. Too bad we'll be making you scream."
The man was closer now and Artemis knew he was testing his luck. But as the adrenaline surged through him, his heart racing in his chest, he knew the reason for this reaction. Impulsivity, recklessness, self-destructive behavior? Those were classic symptoms for conditions like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, something that hadn't gotten better with time in space.
Artemis understood the reasons for it, but that didn't change how he felt or how he experienced it. And while he had some qualms with being beaten by a gangster with gold rings, like damage done to his bone structure and the pain that would ensue, there was a part of being in these dangerous situations that was exhilarating. It would be like his trip through the cosmos, except now that he was entirely in control, there would be no mistakes. It would be perfect. It needed to be, or he'd need to cheat death. Again.
"You won't get a lot of information out of me if I'm incoherent." Artemis forced a large smirk to form on his sore jaw. "I am loaded, you know. I have so much money, you would never need to work for Masaru again."
The room went quiet and the man nodded to the behemoth holding Artemis by his hair. Artemis felt gravity return to him as he was dropped back into his chair, its legs clanging against the ground.
"Do you know the history of tattooing in Yakuza, gaijin?" The man stopped in front of Artemis, plucking a lighter and box of cigarettes from his suit. He slid a hand rolled cigarette into his mouth, lit it up and took off his jacket, handing all three to the man behind Artemis. He then puffed, blowing the foul smoke into Artemis' face.
"The custom of tattooing started with the fishermen. Many fishermen would fall overboard in the rough seas and left to die. So, these tattoos-" another puff to the face, causing Artemis' eyes to burn, "-told us who these men were when their dead bodies washed ashore. It was their identity. And then-" he rolled up his long-sleeved dress shirt, exposing hand-poked tattoos from his elbow and up "-in the Endo era, prisoners would get tattoos like this. When they went to prison, to honor their criminal achievements, a tattoo was added on top, and this became part of the Yakuza culture. To recognize a man for who he is. The tattoos tell our story."
Artemis was in truth, a bit bored, having already known this information beforehand when the ring on his finger began buzzing. About time. Artemis reached his thumb over again, trying to flip the communicator when the gangster in front of him smacked him clean across the cheek with one swipe.
"Hey! Are you listening?" he growled when a loud, vibrating buzzing filled the smokey air. His dark eyes widened and shot to the man behind Artemis. "What is that?"
The behemoth listened in, holding Artemis roughly by the hair once more while the other hand searched his coat. At the nape of the collar there was a secret cell phone holder stitched in, vibrating in place.
"Tetsuya, here." The man ripped it and tossed it to the leader, Tetsuya, in front of Artemis.
"H.S?" Tetsuya raised a brow at the phone screen, puffing his cigarette. "You can tell him to call you later," he chuckled, tossing it to a gangster behind him who promptly smashed it to the floor. "You working with someone?" Tetsuya asked, getting real close to Artemis' face.
"If I was, do you think I'd be in this situation?" Artemis taunted, his fingers working behind him once more, finally flicking the sapphire open.
Tetsuya smacked the genius' cheek again, the chop precise and effective. As the Irishman straightened his jaw out, the Japanese man replied: "I don't know what to think, Fowl. I know your fancy dad went straight. For all I know, you could be ratting us out to the marubo."
Artemis swallowed down the blood that filled his mouth and gave Tetsuya a hard glare. "Your organization is in decline," he grumbled, his adrenaline running so high he couldn't feel the throbbing anymore. "There isn't much to gain from ratting you out. I have no interest in reporting you to the PSIA."
Tetsuya grabbed Artemis by the turtleneck. "Listen, gaijin: Yakuza have no tolerance for rich kids like you. Your time is running short."
And because Artemis knew, or at least hoped that Holly could hear him on the other line, he rasped, "I have friends in the underworld, Tetsuya. I'd hate to see you get dragged to hell."
That was the final blow for Tetsuya. He pulled down Artemis' turtleneck and seared the cigarette into Artemis' snowy flesh. "Yakuza have tattoos to honor us. This is all you get."And in one fluid motion, he reached into his buckle to pull out a knife and smash the butt of it into Artemis' temple.
Artemis slumped to his side, the world going dark once again. Back in we go.
Shinjuku District, Tokyo
01:23 AM
Simply put? Holly Short was pissed, and the longer she drove Artemis' rental car on the way to rescue him, the more pissed she got.
Now, if Artemis was perhaps kidnapped against his will, that would be one thing; she couldn't fault him for that. But from the second she threw on a black hoodie, an olive fitted t-shirt and black athletic pants and entered the foyer, she realized the pair of car keys was still left hanging, and of course, she found the 2023 Nissan Hybrid Track GT-R in the garage. That's why he chose this fancy car, she thought, running her hand over the smooth black surface, her fingers tracing the yellow trim. He wants me to drive it?! A fairy driving a sports car, because I'm faster than your average uber driver. Prick.
The next clue Holly was given was another cell phone in the car, sitting front and center on the dash for her to use. The screen was programmed to run Gnommish, asking her for a password. I don't have a password. What would it be? Gold? Money? No. It couldn't be. Her fingers slid in a circular motion, spelling ramen into the spiral keyboard. The phone clicked open and Holly nearly left the car right then. As she pressed the ignition button, a video on the screen appeared. And of course, it had been no one other than Artemis himself.
Holly replayed the instructions Artemis left her one more time, zooming past glittering skyscrapers and lit-up highways, neon streaks blurring by the windshield as she dared to take every yellow light.
Hello, Holly, he had filmed earlier that day, seated at the edge of his bed. It's seven in the morning at the moment. I imagine you'll be awake in the next hour, so I decided to record this for you now. Firstly, I am sorry to make you do this. But since I no longer have Butler at my side, I know I can count on you to help when the time arises.
Holly rolled her eyes. Typical. Does he think I'm his bodyguard now?
I've left this phone for you to bring to me in the cocoon tower, Artemis continued on the screen. We went there yesterday. Do you remember everything I told you about the tower? Probably not, right? He had smiled, Holly unsure if it was mocking or amusement.
"Gods," she exasperated, tightening her grip on the stick. "Do you think I'm a stinkworm?"
It was as if he'd read her mind. I know you're very intuitive and intelligent, Holly, so I'll make this short… haha. Get the joke? Short? Because you're… anyway-
Holly rolled her eyes again, groaning along a smile she couldn't help.
The tower will likely be closed to the public, therefore reducing the amount of activity inside the building. This will be optimal for us if we need to make a racket and not get caught. With this phone, I have hacked a large majority of Yakuza's organization's security measures. But to fully empty out their accounts, I'd need-
"Keep it short, Artemis," Holly grunted in response, her eyes set on the zipping streets.
-to be on the inside. The easiest way of doing this will be to get myself kidnapped, and that's where you come in. I am expecting a call from one of them later today. After that, as you've probably guessed, you need to, essentially, rescue me. As you bend the members to your will, I can breach the Yakuza's mainframe and plant a seed into their system. A parasite, if you will, that will empty their accounts over the course of a year.
I actually cannot believe I am doing this, Holly raged to herself, furious that she was really going through with it. But Artemis knew as well as Holly did that she would never leave him hanging, and she hated that he was taking advantage of that.
I trust you. You are a commodore now. I trust you can get here quicker than any human on this side of the Earth. Hope you like the car, by the way.
Holly admired the sleek interior as she soared forward as soon as the traffic light changed green, the engine revving to those left in her dust. Holly smirked. The car's kinda cool, I guess.
I trust you will know what to do. He leaned forward to turn off the video, muttering, Whatever you do, please do not lose this phone. If you lose this phone, this opportunity is lost. Thank you, Holly.
It amazed Holly how Artemis could sometimes be so caring and yet so viperous in the same sentence, like with every compliment given she also needed to expect an insult. She shook her head, her fierce eyes switching between the GPS and the high-speed streets ahead of her.
She tapped the screen in front of her, resuming her music as she sped through a busy intersection, driving just carefully enough that she wouldn't be pulled over. A traffic stop for a fairy wouldn't be the best turn of luck, shielded or not. Her eyes flew back to the GPS.
3 Minutes.
You better be alive, Artemis.
01:35 AM
Beep beep. Holly clicked the lock button, leaving the Nissan in a parallel spot a few streets down. Her blood spiked red hot in the chill air as she marched her way to the neon cyan skyscraper looming overhead like a beacon.
She gingerly parted her long hair apart in two sections behind her head, quickly creating french braids on both sides. It was at this point she realized how truly long her auburn waves were and she grimaced even more, throwing her hood up and storming down the sidewalk.
Holly eventually stopped at the base of the skyscraper, gazing up at its towering length. She shook her head in disappointment as her mismatched eyes fell back down to examine the first floor and blew a breath.
"D'arvit, Artemis." Floor one we go. Holly marched towards the double doors, risking a quick peek inside. The lights were dim but not off, indicating there might still be people in there. She pulled at the front door only to find it locked.
She stared at it in disbelief, as if it weren't real. It's locked. It's locked! Does he think I'm Mulch Diggums?!
Holly fell back a few steps, thinking her options through. Had Artemis left anything in the car for her that she missed? Was there something in her pockets? She searched frantically, hoping for a dwarf hair, but nothing. By this time, however, the security from the front desk had noticed her outside the building and opened the door to peer at her.
"Hello, shoujo (little girl)," an older female security guard asked Holly. "Are you lost? Where is your okasa (mommy?)"
I trust you will know what to do, Artemis' words rang in her head. Holly grit her teeth in irritation, cracking her neck as she approached the security guard. "Hi, oku-san," she started in Japanese, her Gift of Tongues flawless. Holly raced to the woman, bearing her gold-tinged eyes into hers.
"I am such a sad, lost, little girl. I lost my okasa in the building," Holly bewitched, digging into the woman's soul. "I need you to let me into the building and take me to the elevators so I can find her. You will not tell anyone else about this. When I am gone, you will erase the security footage, understand, okasa?"
Holly pushed a strong mesmer into the poor woman until she could feel its energy taking effect.
"Of course," the woman nodded robotically, her eyes blank. "Come in, little girl. The elevators are over here." The security guard trudged along like a soulless corpse as she led Holly through the white laminated lobby.
Holly made note of how many cameras were posted around the ceiling, making sure to keep her hood up. They reached the elevator hallway a few moments later, the security guard looking forward, deep in her enchantment. "What floor?"
Holly snapped her fingers at the human, getting her attention. She bore her magic into the security guard's eyes, pushing once more. "Where are the Yakuza, okasa? Please tell me what floor they are on."
The woman's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't know what you mean. Yakuza? Here? That's not possible."
Shit. "Is there a secret floor in this building, okasa?" Holly asked, pushing just a little bit more.
"No. There are forty-two floors, baby girl. The rest are used for the helipad." The woman seemed to enjoy the mesmer, even letting a euphoric smile take hold of her lips as she started to sway a bit.
"Give me your keys, okasa. I'm going to the top floor," Holly said, holding out her hand. As soon as the keys were in her hand, Holly was off into the elevator. She turned back to the woman, her eye contact intense. "And remember, okasa: You're. Going. To. Erase. All. Security Footage. Of. Our. Encounter. Understand? I was never here."
"You were never here," the security guard echoed as she dazed on ahead.
And as the doors slowly came together, Holly's cute face was the last thing the human saw of her. Holly repeated once more: "I was never here," the doors closing on her with a hefty click.
The security guard stumbled back to her desk, mumbling on, "Never here… never… ahaha."
The forty-second floor was the furthest the public elevator would allow Holly to go, the same observation deck Artemis and her were on the day prior. The spacious hall was completely empty and dimly lit by the twinkling of Shinjuku's neon skyline just outside the three-story window. She stopped for a moment, pressing her arm onto the window and resting her forehead on it, staring at the blur of traffic below.
What happens if Trouble finds out about this? What if Artemis isn't even here?
Holly closed her eyes, her brow in a deep frown as more thoughts poured into her. You tricked me, again. The only reason you brought me here was to be your bodyguard. Your savior. But you lied. Why do you always lie?!
Holly's eyes snapped open and caught her reflection. Her eyebrows were furrowed together and tears almost welled in her eyes, especially looking at Artemis' blue eye. She bit her lip as she tried to focus on the city outside instead. Why don't you tell me anything, Arty? Why won't you just talk to me? She blew out a breath, holding those tears back and putting them away for another time. Holly broke away from the glass, a hard look of determination plastered on her face as she strolled on ahead. You better be alive, Fowl.
Holly searched around the floor, looking for anything that could be a door or entrance outside. She found a few closet doors so far, but it wasn't until she rounded a corner on the tower's east side that she noticed a metal door at the end of the white hallway, a slight booming noise coming from it.
Holly's heart thumped rapidly with adrenaline as she made for the door. She expected it to be locked, as it was when she tugged on the handle. She tried the security guard's keys, fitting each one into the lock, but none of them would give, so Holly smashed her side into the metal door over and over, trying to make as much ruckus as possible.
The door swung open and Japanese hip-hop leaked into the empty hallway. The man who answered the door blinked a few times, confused at what had banged on the door when he noticed a pair of keys on the floor. Stunned as he pondered this, a vibrating shielded elf slipped by right by him and into the room.
Okay, I have to do this fast.The "room" itself was more like a busy upscale lounge, with red LEDs lining the carpet walkway, and a 180 view of the night skyline. Older men and young women lined against a long, reflective bar set against the back wall beside an ominous hallway, chatting and drinking the night away without a care in the world.
Holly darted around the lounge, looking for any single, lonely man away from the others. She spotted one in a plum tuxedo drinking alone on the sofa by the window and made for him. She dodged behind a thick concrete column on her way, unshielding in the half second she appeared from the other side.
The man didn't notice that, thankfully, but did look up in time to see a small figure coming towards him. He sat upright, a bit startled at first but then relaxed back when he realized how little the threat was.
"Hah. Your eyes almost gave me a scare," he grunted, sipping his dark liquor. He eyed her closely, a little befuddled by her appearance. She was very pretty, glaring at him with mesmerizing, mismatched eyes, but she wasn't a little girl when you really looked at her. She had the proportions of an adult woman. "Are you lost, shoujo?"
Holly smiled, blinking her lashes at him. "Hi, you're going to help me now, understand?" she whispered as if into him, speaking her magick into his soul. "Are you Yakuza?"
The gangster stared at her, enchanted by the swirling, gold pools in her eyes. "Who's asking?"
Push harder. "If you don't tell me where Artemis Fowl is in the next five seconds, I want you to know the PSIA is coming for you." She bore her gaze even deeper into him, the stench of cologne invading her senses as she pressed her face inches from his own. "Where is he?"
"The 48th floor," the gangster replied, the mesmer easily inviting him in with his intoxicated state. "They're interrogating him now."
Yes. Thank gods. "How many?"
"Six. Maybe seven now, I'm not sure."
"Take me there now," Holly pressed further, prompting the man to set his drink down and stand.
"Yes. I'll take you now." The large humanturned his back to her, leading her towards the back hallway.
Holly tried to use his large frame to mostly hide herself from the party at the bar. Hopefully they were too intoxicated to notice. They entered the ominous hallway behind the dark bar, the lime glow from the LED overheard causing a rippling of nausea in Holly's gut as she searched for an exit of sorts. The gangster eventually led her down another corridor where there were a pair of mirrored elevators. One up. One down.
The Yakuza man clicked the right elevator numbly, a blank expression in his eyes as he stared at Holly. Suddenly, he said, "You're going to die up there."
Holly's mouth tightened, unsettled by his thoughts breaking the mesmer. "Listen to me now, human," she almost sang at him, giving him everything she had. "Cross me, and you'll end up like your friends upstairs. And that's a promise. Now, you will never remember this encounter, and when you get back to your pathetic little drink at your even sadder little table, I want you to drink yourself dry."
The elevator dinged and Holly stepped inside without another word. The door closed moments later and she was on her way up, this service elevator being a bit slower than the public's.
42. 43. 44. Holly felt a twist in her gut, accompanied by prickly bits of flighty anxiety in her chest as the elevator rose higher into the Tokyo sky. What's going to happen? 45. 46. What if he's already dead? 47. 48. Ding.
01:45 AM
The mirrored double doors spread apart like smooth butter, the Yakuza members on the other side of it left bewildered by the empty elevator. "Eh?!" one exclaimed, causing a chain reaction amongst the men.
Artemis, coated in blood, peered through swollen eyes into the elevator, a relieved smile washing over his bruised face. He didn't say anything, but he knew what to expect.
Holly fumed at Artemis as she stepped outside the elevator, the doors slithering to a close behind her. A slight shimmer hung in the dark hallway where she stood. She knew he couldn't fully see her, but she hoped he could feel just how much deep shit he was in. Holly contemplated for a moment, deciding if she should unshield or not. It's risky, but let's show Artemis just how pissed I really am.
The men turned to Tetsuya. "Did you send for an elevator?" one asked, suspicious.
And before anyone could answer, Holly unshielded before the men, suddenly dropping from thin air. She glared at Artemis fiercely from under her hood, not even bothered by the several gangsters surrounding him. If eyes could kill, hers were flaming daggers.
The men looked her up and down, most spooked, others amused. One even laughed. "Majokko (magic girl?)" he shook his head in amazement.
Holly smirked, turning her focus on them. She said nothing but dropped her hood, her braids running along the pointed tips of her ears. She showed them off gracefully.
"Yosei (Fairy)," several men breathed. Tetsuya came the closest to Holly, glaring her way. "Back off, girl. We don't want to hurt you. Leave now, and this will be forgiven."
Holly's smirk became dangerous. She replied casually in Tokyo dialect. "Can't. Sorry. That's my human." She nodded to Artemis, then turned back to Tetsuya. "Guess you'll have to come and get me yourself."
Tetsuya smiled, accepting the challenge. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." He reached his hand at one of his men, motioning for a weapon. His associate handed him a katana, and Tetsuya released it from its sheath, its sharp edge sliding out gracefully to greet her.
Perfect. Holly focused her gaze on the man and readied her stance. She waited, still as stone. Tetsuya came charging, his blade tip soaring right for her. And at the last second, Holly dodged left in one fluid motion, dipping low and kicking him in the knees. She reached for his wrist and slammed him down, disarming the katana from him. Holly chuckled with relief as she kicked his blade up, catching it and slammed Tetsuya with the pommel, punching it into the center of his forehead. The leader's eyes rolled as he knocked out to the floor.
Holly smirked towards the other men, twirling the light katana blade between her fingers. She walked forward slowly, taking note of who was closest to Artemis. A giant behemoth of a man (she'd seen bigger) stood behind the Irish hostage, a small knife glistening in his hand. "Hmm," she grunted, shielding suddenly.
The men circled in panic, shooting rounds off in the hallway as they were unsure of her next move. The giant bodyguard behind Artemis was thrown backwards and slammed into the ground on his back.
As suddenly as he was down, he was knocked out with a swift fist between the eyes. The katana blade and knife were thrown behind them several feet away, distracting the men when Holly appeared underneath a much shorter man.
"Boo." Before the tiny gangster could shoot her with his pistol Holly served a roundhouse kick straight into his gut, sending him flying into a desk. She raced forward and disarmed his pistol, unloading the mag and separating the two. But instead of throwing it away, she spun in a tight circle, using the momentum to slam the magazine into his head. The tips of her ears tingled as she felt a presence behind her. Holly waited two seconds before dipping down low, kicking the thug's legs out from behind her.
Artemis watched her in absolute awe. Incredible, isn't she? He didn't know if Holly's training had increased tenfold during his five year absence or if she was truly that angry with him, but either way, she almost seemed like she was having fun taking out her anger on these criminals. She was absolutely marvelous at it.
And Holly was, in a way, enjoying herself. No one was getting too hurt, and it was the sort of thrill she loved about being a soldier. Something being a commodore didn't really offer anymore. She raced towards the guy she'd kicked and with her sneaker, gave a direct blow to his temple, knocking him out cold.
Holly couldn't help but smile impishly at the three thugs left. Was it bad that this was sort of fun? No. You're mad at Artemis. Don't forget that. She raced forward to the man closest to her, the thugs charging in to meet her. One man sliced his knife at her and she dashed right, sweeping into a lunge and punching the knife out of his hand. She grabbed hold of his shirt collar in one motion and swung him towards her, kicking in his shins so he fell to his knees before her. Holly bore her eyes into him and grinned. "Go to sleep, roach pest." And as his eyes desperately accepted sleep, Holly tossed him to the floor.
"Holly," Artemis hissed next to her. "Can you free me?"
Holly could feel Artemis' eyes on her as she stormed by him, refusing to make eye contact with him, afraid she might punch him too if she did. She looked between the two men left, breathing in with a deep sigh. Holly closed her eyes and cracked her neck left, then right, and rolled out her shoulders. When she opened her eyes again, they were hard and steely cold. When nothing happened, she grinned again. "Who's next?"
As she exhaled, Holly zipped towards the man on her left. He was picking up a katana when she shielded fast enough to slide in behind him and with a swift one-two-three! combo, dislocated his knees in their sockets. He tumbled to the floor and Holly whacked him in the eyes with her long braids, unleashing the move with a yell of frustration and release. Just one guy left.
"Holly!" Artemis chimed, his bloodied gaze pleading with her. "Please get me out first."
"ARGH!" Holly screamed, swiftly kicking up and throwing the katana right at Artemis.
The blade whizzed by the genius, lodging in the upper corner of the chair. And though it sliced right through his upper binds, he widened his eyes at her as if she tried to kill him.
Holly caught the glance and sneered. "Free yourself!" she yelled, moving on. But when her eyes turned back to fight, they widened into panicked saucers.
The last thug was shakily adding ammo to a glock, pushing the mag in place. No! And with the most speed she's ever ran in her life, Holly darted for the thug as he aimed his pistol at her.
He shot one bullet off but Holly was too quick, soaring towards him and body slamming him into the wall. She grabbed the gun away from him, thrusting her foot into his gut. As she clicked the safety on and tossed the gun away, she slammed her head into his, sending him sinking to the cold floor. Holly huffed and puffed in place, exhausted as her blood soared in her veins from the fight.
"I see you've learned a few moves," Artemis commented casually, freeing himself from his binds.
Holly almost forgot Artemis' part in all of this. "I told you: Juliet. I lost the bet- WAIT!" she started until she remembered where she was. She rounded on Artemis, waving a finger at him like disciplining a child. "NO. NO. No-"
"No?"
"-NO! We are NOT friends right now. You, youuuuuuuu," Holly seethed, her face red hot as she charged up to him. "You did this! You lied to me, and you used me-"
"By the looks of it, commodore, you seem to be enjoying yourself," Artemis remarked, rubbing his welted wrists.
Holly broke out into a guilty smile, knowing Artemis was partially right, like always. But that wasn't the point, and that made her even angrier. "No," she shook her head at him. "Absolutely not. You do not get to talk to me like you've done nothing wrong. You did this. You planned this whole thing-"
"Thing?" Artemis asked, a bit delirious as he moved towards her slowly.
"THING, Artemis," Holly exasperated, throwing her hands in the air. "This whole Japan trip was just so I could be here to do this for you, wasn't it?"
Artemis was quiet for a few moments. "Well, that wasn't the whole reason."
"OH MY GODS. Shut up. Shut up! Just, stop talking. Close your mouth and just throw the key away," Holly boiled over, turning to walk away from him.
Artemis hobbled over, reaching out to stop her shoulder. "Holly, the phone."
Holly whipped around, waving the phone in their faces. "Oh, you mean this phone? Mm, it'd be a shame if something happened to it. Or if I broke it."
Artemis tried to grab it from her but she was too fast. "Holly, please. Let's not waste any more time."
"No!" Holly stood her ground, firmly glaring into his eyes. "What would you have done if I wasn't here? If I hadn't figured it out?"
Artemis frowned at her. "I would've formulated another plan. There is always another plan."
Holly fumed at him, thinking. What if she broke this phone right here and now? Then he couldn't carry out this scheme. But, what if he never spoke to her again? Of course he would. He's Artemis. She rolled her eyes, slapping the phone into his hand.
As she marched towards the elevator, Artemis slowed his gait behind her, eyes glued to his phone. "Good. This is good," he mumbled, checking the tower's security system. "You haven't alerted any attention yet." He smiled and looked down at her. "This is why I like you. We're the best at what we do."
"Of course you had to throw yourself in there," Holly grumbled. She crossed her arms as she waited for him by the elevator, analyzing him like a book. "What if they had killed you, Artemis? What then?"
Artemis shrugged nonchalantly, still hacking the system. "Then I would've died." His eyes shot up, sensing a trap. "I didn't mean it that way."
But Holly was quick. "So you don't care if you die?" she said, stomping over to him. "What is wrong with you? Do you hear yourself?"
Artemis furrowed his brow, still concentrating on getting back into the tower's systems. Authenticating file… Of course he heard what Holly was saying but those feelings were not important right now. They could come after in the safety of the getaway car. Logging you in. [Open file?] Artemis smiled, opening up the network and seeing what he could twist around.
"Artemis, are you even listening?" Once Artemis was by her side, Holly waved a hand in his face. "Um, hello? What's the plan? What are we doing?" Holly asked impatiently, hitting the elevator button.
"Aaand done. We're successfully attached to the lower tower's security cameras. As for location, the blueprints show we need to head upstairs for the server room. I will be able to control everything else up there."
"And how are you doing this?" Holly asked as the elevator door dinged.
"Fairy technology, of course," Artemis smirked, side-glancing a steaming Holly. "You can blame Foaly for that. He makes it too easy."
The elevator doors slid open, revealing four more suited men inside, two armed with knives, one handgun, and another katana. So instead of retorting, she shoved Artemis' waist, pushing him out of the way. "MOVE!"
They ran back down the hallway, hiding on the other side of the wall as bullets rained down on them from the shaft.
"Where's your neutrino?" Artemis asked, a bead of sweat dripping down his bloody temple.
Holly glared at him. "Shhh. Be quiet." She pushed Artemis on the other side of her so she could peer over the corner of the wall. The swordsmen were marching down the hall while the gunman hung back. This isn't good. Gods dammit, Artemis. She patted Artemis' shoulder. "Butler taught you krav maga, right?"
"Uh, yes?" Artemis hesitated. Oh no."Holly, don't."
Holly smirked at him, a savage twinkle in her eyes. "New plan, mudman. You fight these guys, I take him down," she explained, nodding to the gunman in the back.
"You haven't even healed me," Artemis protested.
Holly shrugged, moving forward. "Should of thought of that before you got yourself into this mess."
"Holly, I don't think this-"
But she was gone, shielding off into the hallway, past the men on their way to Artemis. Artemis gulped and pressed his back to the wall, trying to remember back to his dojo days with Butler. He remembered all the moves, but Artemis feared he didn't have the physical skill to accomplish them. As he tried to think, he could hear the gunman at the end of the hallway being thrown around with an "oof!" A gunshot rang off and Artemis widened his eyes. "Holly!"
But when Artemis peered out from the corner, an unshielded Holly had the gun pointed at the three knifed men, the gunman out cold at her feet. Artemis smiled, nodding to her in thanks. Amazing. You really are something, aren't you?
Holly kept her gaze on the men, making sure they were solely focused on her. They traded a stare off, silence drifting between them when Holly disarmed the gun, tossing it to the floor with a clang!
She stepped forward, her eyes an intense swirl of magickal gold dust. "Do you see what I really am? Do you see it?" she whispered, just loud enough they could hear. Suddenly all three men dropped their arms at their sides, entranced by her spell.
Holly's steps were light as she approached the thug with the katana in the middle, hips swaying as she walked. She reached a finger out and curled it inward, beckoning him closer. He bent down, still completely enamored by her presence when she bore her eyes into his. "Do you see me now?"
The man suddenly broke out in a sweat, becoming panicked. "Ehhh?! Nani?!"
Holly seduced the man with her magick, really giving him the full hallucinatory experience. She leaned in close so their noses touched and hissed, "Shinigami (God of Death)."
From the thug's point of view, giant, skeletal wings ripped out of her back, cracking and breaking into shape to rise high into the air above them, powerful gusts ruffling his hair back. Her red eyes bore into him while razor-sharp teeth filled her smile. Holly, of course, didn't really do any of this, just smiling and blowing air at the man, but to him, it was the most terrifying experience of his life. He raced into the elevator and tapped the bottom floor urgently, desperate to get out and never turn back.
Holly turned and smiled at the other two, shaking their heads as they started to recover. I need to save magick. She cracked her neck side to side again, and took off towards them, completely on the offense this time. She punched one into a corner where he swung his knife at her. Holly swept back, swooping down and kicked her leg up, smashing into the man's family jewels. As he fell back wailing, Holly took a moment to glance over her shoulder at Artemis.
Artemis threw a punch at his single opponent, the gangster easily side-stepping him and throwing his fist into the genius' cheek. Artemis stumbled back, wiping the blood from his mouth. His vision was doubled now, and he couldn't tell if there was an earthquake but he was swaying. I feel faint.
He shook his head, determined to at least put some of Butler's training to use. Artemis trekked forward a few feet, panting at the thug. The thug brandished his knife and darted at the Irishman. But before he could reach Artemis, the knife was kicked out of his hand by Holly, the steel flying across the room. Before the thug could react, Artemis jumped in, throwing his fist to finally make a crack! into the man's nose.
As the thug slumped to the floor, Artemis shook his wrist out, a dark smile on his face. "I finally got a hit in. It's been years."
Holly raised an annoyed brow at him as she strolled past. "I thought Butler was teaching you krav maga."
"He did," Artemis nodded out of breath, bending over his knees.
"What happened? You suck," Holly started, but she couldn't help but grow a fond smile.
"Yeah. I've noticed. Thank you."
"Sure, I'm here 'til Tuesday."
Artemis stood up straight, glancing at his phone. "Can we go up now?"
02:00 AM
They took the elevator to the next floor, the mirror doors opening to let them into an expansive hallway. The entire 49th floor was covered in a 360 glass wall and three white doors lined an inner hallway.
Artemis walked ahead of Holly, using his phone as a map of the building. He made for the third door on the right, opening the handle but Holly cut in, shutting it back quietly. Artemis looked at her questioningly but she shook her head.
"Listen," Holly whispered, pressing her ear to the door.
Ah. I was hasty, Artemis thought to himself. How foolish of me. He did the same and listened in, hearing several male voices speak Japanese inside.
"What's the situation?" someone asked. Who, they were unsure of.
"Several guys are down. These people are weird, Yamato-san," another voice spoke. "There's this girl who took down half our men. She does this martial art I don't recognize."
Holly looked at Artemis, and actually looked at his face this time. He didn't look well at all. His hair was slick with blood, and the red substance had coagulated around his nose and mouth. His left eyebrow sagged down, bruised purple and swollen. Holly knew she should heal him, but something in her felt he deserved it. She cleared her throat, guilt eating away at her.
"Ready?" she asked Artemis. He nodded, standing back. Holly slowly nudged the door, letting it fall open.
"Eh?" The door remained propped open, but with nothing on the other side to hold it. The men inside stared at the hallway in fear. "Yokai (Spirit?)" one asked.
"Yosei," Holly whispered back from behind him. And as the man turned, she unshielded, spearheaded her foot straight up in between the man's legs, striking him from the crotch up. As he fell over in agony, Holly punched his cheek straight across, sending him careening across the floor.
When Holly whipped back around she noticed Artemis in the doorway, his blue eyes locked on the equally blue servers behind her. She glared at him as if saying Get out of sight, idiot! when he held up his phone in response and mouthed "busy".
Holly rolled her eyes and noticed two men coming for her, waiting on them to close in and then at the last second dropping low, causing the thugs to crash into each other on either side. Holly rolled out from underneath them, springing up. As the two bodies crumpled to the floor, she raced down, reaching for one man's collar.
"So," Artemis smirked, spooking Holly mid-punch as he leaned on the doorway, switching his focus between her and his phone. "Why did your bet involve you having long hair?" Artemis asked her, switching to Gnommish.
Holly groaned, lifting the collared thug. "I told Juliet that short hair is more efficient on the field and she said 'no way, fam.' So," she grunted, slamming her fist into the gangster's cheekbone. "If I won the bet, she'd have to cut off her hair. If I lost the bet, I had to grow mine out- AGH!" she yelled as she kicked the man off and sent him to his new bedtime.
The second man in the heap below Holly stirred awake, clutching his head as he sat up in a wrinkled brown suit.
As Holly marched over to the man, Artemis watched, asking her, "And what was this bet?"
Fully irritated again, Holly grabbed the man's hair and smashed his face down on her knee. As she dropped him, Holly glared back up at Artemis. "I dunno, Artemis. What do you think?" She finished the brown-suited man off with a solid kick to the jaw.
"So you lost a fight," Artemis smirked, glancing back at his screen.
"Wow," Holly rolled her eyes, moving towards the back server room. "You really are a genius."
"You know-" Artemis glanced back at her, until he noticed a hidden man sneaking up behind Holly, a large knife ready to strike behind her. Artemis dropped everything and darted forward. "Holly!" Not again! Not this time!
Holly whipped around at his urgency, catching the man behind her too late. She thrust her hands out to stop him but the blade was already piercing the air straight for her heart. She could feel Artemis' presence behind her and she reached out, trying to shield him from the blow, even if it meant dying from it.
Holly closed her eyes, expecting to feel that white hot stabbing pain in her flesh, when it never came. Her eyes snapped open and looked down. With every deep breath, her chest lightly tickled the sharp tip of the blade, a droplet of blood trickling down the impaled hand in front of her. She followed the pale hand upwards, suddenly realizing it was Artemis. He had wrapped his arms around her body, stopping the blade with his own flesh.
And in a surreal and breakthrough moment, time seemed to stop as both Holly and Artemis caught each other's gaze. It was just like back then, back when she died on Limbo. He remembered, she remembered. They lived through it together, and now Artemis was going to do anything he could to prevent that from ever happening again. Holly blinked in amazement, seconds later breaking her daze, giving him a grateful nod. Thank you.
Refocused and now incredibly protective, Holly snatched the hilt of the knife, yanking it out in one clean motion from Artemis' palm and flung it back at the Japanese criminal in front of them. The hilt pommeled him between the eyes and he collapsed into the servers behind him.
Holly could see Artemis shivering in shock and slipped her hand into his quickly, holding it tightly. "Heal," Holly said, offering a generous amount of magick to him, a grateful smile stretching across her face before zipping off into the row of servers behind them.
Artemis watched his hand's bleeding wound close up, blue sparks stitching the flesh back together like needle and thread. I think I've been forgiven. The pain still throbbed in his palm but the wound was stitched clean shut.
He stretched his neck, his face and upper body feeling immensely lighter. He picked up the phone off the floor, setting a refreshed gaze back at the program, using his good hand to craft a few more tweaks into the "parasite's" code. Artemis rounded the corner, looking up in time to catch Holly launching a double kick into one of three thugs' backs.
As she landed on her feet, Artemis watched her auburn braids fray behind her back with each movement, unsure if he was entranced by her skill or intoxicated with magic. Perhaps both. "So when do you cut it off?" he asked.
"Your hand?!" Holly stammered as she jumped back to avoid the man swiping at her.
"Your hair," Artemis smiled as he leaned against a server, looking at his screen for any updates.
"You're still on that?!" Holly scowled as she slid left, tackling the man's legs and throwing him down with all her weight. "Uh, 'til it reaches my backside."
Artemis glanced down at the actual curve of her back. "It is on your backside."
Holly turned, giving him a deadpan stare over her shoulder. "My ass, Artemis."
Artemis' eyes dropped a little lower. "Oh. I see."
"Move!" Holly yelled, knocking Artemis from the server and to the floor. A bullet rang off just as Holly grabbed the glock and thrusted the intruder's wrist up, twisting her forearms to break his wrist into two.
But this man was quicker than the others and tripped her legs beneath her, smashing Holly's jaw with the butt of his revolver, sending her to the floor.
Holly spit blood, an amused smile forming on her face as she pressed her hand to her jaw. "Heal," she declared, electric blue sparks repairing her jaw back into place. She sensed the thug behind her and rolled left, jumping to her feet beside him. "Nice shot," Holly grinned, circling him with a devious glint in her hazel eye. "Let's see if you can do it again."
And she was off, sprinting at him with all her speed, but as she slid to dodge and strike, the man was body slammed by another figure instead. Holly stopped in place, tense as she blinked sweat from her eyes.
Artemis smashed into the man, sending them both wheeling to the floor. He grabbed the thug's arms to restrain him, struggling against the Japanese man's strength. He turned to Holly seriously. "Get him!"
Holly rolled her eyes, stepping forward and knocking the man out with a simple roundhouse kick. As he dropped like a fly, she frowned at Artemis. "You enjoying yourself?"
Artemis stood, dusting his coat off. "Well, yes. I have to admit this is quite the experience." When Holly's frown deepened, he added, "Holly, he hit you. I couldn't just stand there."
Holly stepped forward, her expression changing from irked to concerned. He's protecting me. "Artemis," she started. "I'm a professional. This isn't a game. I almost died. We could die at the slightest mistake-"
"I know. Of course, you're right. But-" Artemis stepped forward, waving the phone in one hand. "I know this seems extreme. Perhaps it is, so I understand why you're upset. But this is truly for the greater good. We can remove corruption from the inside out, distribute it where it's needed instead." Holly was silent, and when he saw the disappointment in her eyes, he moved over the dropped bodies, heading to a server mainframe. "Anyway, this is where I'll be for the next three minutes. Maybe five if our luck runs out. I trust you'll keep watch?"
Holly crossed her arms, watching Artemis uncomfortably for a second. What's going on with you? She wanted to talk to him, maybe dissect him to figure him out, but that had to wait. They were in an active combat zone.
"Sure," Holly said instead, throwing on her hood and leaving his side at the glowing blue servers to scan the room next door.
Artemis took off his coat, resting it neatly on the floor. He wiped at the grime on his face with his sleeve as he inspected the large mainframe in front of him.
Alright. Three minutes. In and out.
With a determined breath, he bent down, looking for a USB slot. He opened the phone's case, a secret compartment hiding a cable and USB inside. He set them together and fixed them into their slots, one into the frame and the other into his phone.The phone wasn't an average smart phone by any means: it was designed and developed with fairy technology that Artemis now liked to call 'FaeTek'. Completely coded in Gnommish, it functioned as an omnitool, a hologram projector screen, and especially important for this mission, a keylogger.
The server blinked green once, connecting to his FaeTek phone. The keylogging program popped up on his screen, the server asking to confirm the parasite's download. Accept program? Downloading… Download complete. Start? Artemis' eyes grew intense, his blood-stained finger hovering over the touch screen. This was it. The whole reason he was here. It needed to go perfectly. If his parasite was not as invisible as he hoped, he expected the tower's alert systems to trigger, along with the Yakuza's. This had been a last-minute mission, but Artemis wiped sweat off his brow, determined it would work. He tapped Start.
Five seconds passed, and the entire Yakuza network blossomed on his phone: data, account numbers, records and logins were encrypted and stored away. The fairy keylogger sprung into action, tracking any key strokes on any device attached to the criminal organization. The FaeTek sent this information remotely to Artemis' laptop back at Villa Éco, ensuring the data would not be lost.
Artemis nearly dropped to his knees, a satisfied smile growing on his tired face as he stared at his phone screen. He did it. If they could just slip out according to plan, it would be a success. A perfect success.
"You done yet?" Holly asked impatiently behind him, peering at his phone from around his arm.
"Done as in, I've extracted the Yakuza's data, then yes. It was successful," Artemis disconnected the cable and USB, switching to another server rack a few rows down. "Just give me a moment to access the tower's security network." He reconnected to the new server, gaining full access to Mode Gakuen's security cameras, alarms, and recordings. He selected the footage from the same night, deleting everything in the last hour.
As Artemis moved on, Holly leaned into his side to peep at his phone. "What now?"
"I've deleted the last hour of footage. Now…" he gazed up to the corner of the room. He focused on the bubble camera blinking red and not at the elf pressed into his hip. "It should be off in 3, 2, 1-" The red record light blinked off, leaving the camera defunct. Artemis looked down at Holly with a proud smile. "Their security is offline. Time for us to get out of here."
02:19 AM
After sneaking through a plethora of hallways, Artemis and Holly took the 42nd floor service elevator down to the lobby.
As they exited, Holly waved a hand at Artemis. "Security lady is totally mesmerized. She won't even see us."
And she didn't as the pair simply passed the security booth, the guard zoned out at the blank security footage behind her desk.
As they stepped out of the glass doors of the skyscraper, onto the cement streets of the city outside, Holly and Artemis let out a deep sigh of relief. Holly instantly retreated into her jacket, shivering. "WOAH it got cold! It wasn't this cold when we got here! What the hell?!"
Artemis tuned her out, resting his back against the building, looking up at the stars above. White petals danced in the neon night sky, or was it snow flurries now? A tiny snowflake sauntered in the soft breeze, dissolving as it landed on his forehead. He exhaled, frost coating his icy breath, his blue eyes becoming glassy with tears. Is this what I would've missed? Beautiful.
"Artemis," Holly pleaded, holding her arms together shaking as flurries coated her long lashes.
Artemis snapped out of his thoughts, looking down at her. Absolutely beautiful. And before Artemis could allow himself anymore tears, he brushed himself off, offering an embarrassed smile. "Sorry. Let's get going."
"Thank you!" Holly moaned, sprinting towards the next street. "It's freezing!"
Artemis smiled as he walked after her. "Why would you park so far then?"
These moments matter. I should remember these next time instead.
Karuizawa, Nagano
03:12 AM
10 min was the gps' ETA on their way back to Karuizawa, Holly having cut their driving time in half with the grace of the modified Nissan. She eyed Artemis next to her worriedly. He was uncharacteristically quiet for most of the ride, despite having been energized at the tower. Holly boiled it down to him being tired but something didn't feel right to her. It gnawed at her gut, telling her to speak up. So, she cleared her throat and rolled her eyes playfully.
"A Nissan? Really, Artemis?" Holly joked. "I thought you'd at least get me a Bugatti." When he didn't seem to hear her, her smile faltered. She frowned, looking back at the road. She took a few more moments, her grip tight on the wheel. "Did something happen in space?"
This got Artemis' attention. His head lifted off the window and he looked at her with surprise. "What?"
"You told me all about your discovery but nothing about your trip, or Butler. You never called. You got back, like, a whole week ago and you're already doing suicide missions to bankrupt criminals." Holly turned to him, genuine concern wrinkled in her brow. "There's something up."
Artemis gazed at his ruined shoes, not wanting to meet her gaze. Should he say the truth? Should he elaborate? She would understand. She wouldn't react like Butler did and leave too, right?
No. No one can know. Never again.
Artemis lifted his gaze, doing his best to be as casual as possible. He knew Holly could see through him, so it was best to tell a version of the truth. "The trip was successful, Holly. It went as planned. I'm not sure what more you're looking for."
"Artemis, don't insult me. I've known you for sixteen years. Sixteen!" Holly offered a smile. "You can't hide from me. What about Butler? Why am I your bodyguard now?"
"Actually," Artemis said, deflecting the conversation off Butler. "I think there was some discussion about you being my official fairy liaison officer."
Holly nearly drove them off the road. "Sorry, WHAT?!"
"It's what mothe- Angeline wants to ask you, anyway."
"Artemis, I already have a job as a Commodore," Holly exasperated. "If I'm gonna be your permanent babysitter I'd better be getting a payraise." She glanced at him. "A hefty payraise."
Artemis nearly laughed, but couldn't find enough energy to do so. "Of course, Holls. Anything you need."
"Ok, well then I need you to just talk to me, okay?" Holly's gaze became intense. "I'm serious. You keep going behind my back and forcing me into these situations I'm not going to talk to you at all anymore."
"Right," Artemis sighed half-witted, but inside his heart dropped. "What would the great Holly Short do without her human?"
"I'd be living without a headache, that's what." But Holly was tired of joking. She pulled up to their rental ecolodge, stopping the car in the garage. She turned to Artemis, her face serious.
"Artemis. Look at me." He did, but his eyes were beaten. Like his mask was cracking.
Holly reached out and touched his cheek, gently wiping at the dried blood stuck to his cold skin. "From now on, I need you to talk to me first. You need to tell me the truth; give me consent whether I wanted to do something like this-"
"You didn't have to come," Artemis replied quietly. "I could've made another plan."
"No. Sh. Listen. You know, you know I will always come for you. I will always save you. I will always come find you," Holly threw her hands up, a bit overwhelmed. "If you asked me to go to Mars with you, I would've gone! You know that about me, and it's unfair you're taking advantage of me for that."
"I know," Artemis replied, still avoiding her gaze. "I- ... I know sorry isn't enough, but unfortunately I don't know what else to say."
They were quiet for a few minutes before Holly shifted in her seat. "Thank you for saving me. Again."
"There are things you will always do for me, Holly," Artemis started, finally turning to meet her gaze. "Protecting your life is the very least I can ever do."
Holly nodded, not wanting to press the conversation any further. She shut off the car and opened her door. "Come on. It's late. We'll talk later, ok?"
"Yes, and our flight to Ireland is quite early tomorrow," Artemis nodded in agreement, trudging along.
"Our flight?!"