The Girl In Chains (Artemis Fowl x Female Reader)

Chapter 16: A Butler And A Well Aimed Shot

We race up the stairs. I go in front because the first person always gets the worst of everything, and i know i can handle being hurt better than them.

I reach the top of the stairs and immediately stoop down so i'm in a crouch, my daggers are in my hands before i even process the full scene before me.

"Look out!" I yell, directing my voice to the people behind me. They reach the top of the stairs and i'm forced to move forward a few steps, causing our guards to lift their guns.

"Well, well, well, who is this new rat, Arty?" Jon stands behind two guards, a smile plastered onto his face.

I speak before Artemis can, "Rats don't waste time on words"

I spring into action.

Faster than a snake, i have my daggers buried deep into one of the guard's back. I spend no time considering what i've done, and move on the the next one, who is now ready for me, though he didn't lift his gun fast enough.

"Morrigan!" I hear Holly calls from behind me, telling me not to kill them, but i ignore her.

I cut down three before the first bullet is fired. I dodge it easily, having moved out of the way before the lead left the barrel. Jon yells out the last order any of the guards will hear, before he turns tail and runs.

"Kill them!"

I lunge at him, surprisingly, no one gets in my way in time, and my dagger buries itself into his back, he cries out. I risk my safety and bend down to pick through Jon's pockets. I find it, a little tear-shaped bottle filled with red liquid. I tuck it in my pocket.

Cut a path for Butler, Holly, and Artemis, i still have time, though it'll be close.

We are a room away from the closest exist, which also so happens to be the front door, which also so happens to be where all the guards are guarding.

This is great.

I keep slashing, some of them put up a fight, but not enough of one.

Blood, there's so much blood.

Sadistic joy flows freely like a dam let loose, it's not necessarily the blood itself, or the wounds i inflict upon my victims, it's the fear hanging thick in the air that makes me smile, it's the chaotic mix of negative emotions i see on everyone's faces that i love. It's power.

I slash through another's life and they fall at my feet, i get a moment of silence where i spot Butler's humongous frame in the cluster of people, holding three people off at once, we make eye contact, him, with unconscious bodies laying around, me, with blood-soaked daggers, i see disappointment flood into his face.

They don't need to die. Why be so violent?

Shut up, asshole. 

I hear Holly's gun firing somewhere to my left, farthest from the door, Artemis is probably with her. I make my way towards Holly. 

In the moment i think i'm free, a distinct gun shot rings, and like slow motion, i know where it's aimed. 

Artemis.

But i can change that, i can change his fate. I step to the side, letting the bullet mark me instead. Holly nor Artemis realize the bullet in my leg. Good. 

Holly's breathing is heavily, her gun the only weapon she can use. Due to Artemis's state, she can't fight for fear of leaving him alone.

"Get him, and get out of here! I'll hold them off" I command Holly, throwing my dagger into a guard's head.

"Butler!" I roar, "Get over here!" He appears seconds later.

"Me and you will cut a path through the guards so that Holly can get Artemis out!" 

"Copy!" 

We keep pushing forward, but more and more guards keep pushing us back, and the guards only seem to be getting a better fight. The good part though, is that they're all holding guns, and guns are hard to fire and aim in a crowd such as this. Despite this, i clench my teeth against the pain in my leg and push on, making more head way than Butler since i don't waste time trying not to hurt them.

We finally make a break in the fabric of bodies, and Holly wastes no time picking Artemis up and running. Me and Butler flank her sides, cutting off any stray weapons, or people. My leg screams, but i refuse to let it so much as show on my face, 

You can handle this, this is what you've trained for. You're no stranger to being shot, multiple times even.

I trap the pain in a room i made in my head, where all my pain goes.

We almost reach the door, but then Butler collapses on the ground, shivering in a sudden bout of pain. 

I leap behind Holly where the majority of guards are and continue to fend them off, Holly uses her gun to get rid off all the ones directly blocking her path. Artemis falls to his knees beside Butler, shaking him, trying to wake him up. 

"Butler!" He yells, anguish lacing his voice, "Butler, please! Wake up! Wake up! We need you! I need you! Holly!"

Holly yells back, "I don't have enough magic to heal him, Artemis!" She also sounds worried.

This is why i don't get attached. I silently tell myself.

Butler utters a few words through gritted teeth, "No, no magic. Magic is what's hurting me. I can feel it, coursing through my veins, it's too much for me"

I don't have time to check my watch, but i know we're running out of time.

Holly lets out a cry behind me, she got shot in the arm, and her eyes are filled with pain, she drops her gun as the last bit of her magic flows across her arm like electric sparks.

I growl, "Artemis!" I don't know if he turns to look as me, since my eyes are trained on my next target, "Get this to the bomb, now!" I toss the antidote at him, and he catches it, however clumsily. 

But now he's staring from the bottle to Butler, then up at me, a connection seems to be taking way in his mind. I know what he's thinking before he says it.

"What about Butler?"

He's torn between getting Butler out of here, or running to the bomb and leaving Butler alone.

Butler VS the bomb and thousands of civilian lives, who wins?

I see the hesitation burning in Artemis's eyes. 

I see the alarm in Butler's eyes.

I see another guard fall before me, dropping his gun.

I pick up the gun and shoot Butler through his skull.

A bullet and a well aimed shot can save many.