Artemis Fowl and the Hunger Games

Artemis Fowl and the Hunger Games: Chapter 3

I keep trying to write Birch with a T in place of the R

Stuff gets real in this chapter.

Yay, finally updated! Now it's all Stella's turn.

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Myles tapped his foot impatiently by the door. "Beckett, do not put your tie in your mouth," He frowned at his brother, who shrugged and spat out his tie.

"I spilled some mustard on it. I'm trying to get it out."

"That's disgusting," Myles grimaced and tapped his foot harder. "Where's Artemis?"

"I thought he was over by Minerva's house."

"She's a twat."

Beckett looked hurt. "She babysat us for five years, Mye. She was amazing to us. I like her."

"I am sorry, Beck, but I do not. Where is Artemis?!" Myles scowled and put his hand up to the doorknob when it opened to reveal his big brother.

"Myles, fix your tie," He said absently to his younger sibling as he rushed toward the stairs to his room. "And Beck, keep your tie out of your mouth!"

He ran upstairs.

Myles glared over at Beckett. "Told you so."

Artemis peeked into his parent's room. Good: they were almost ready. He sped toward his own room and picked up a small piece of technology he had been working on. Ever since he had started making it, it had brought him good luck. Now, he needed it more than ever. He slid it into his inside jacket pocket and moseyed back downstairs, taking in everything with his eyes. If he was going to be reaped, he wanted to remember his family before he was killed.

"Artemis!" His mother called from downstairs.

He ran.

The Reaping.

They corralled the children into sections, one for each age and sex, from eleven to eighteen. Artemis was farther back with the older boys, the girls separated from them by a small walkway. He could see Myles and Beckett in the front. Despite their differences, he could see them holding hands tightly, not letting go of their second soul. He breathed in deeply as he thought of his position, and felt himself start to shake. The mayor had stood up and begun to say the same thing he did every year, but now he just wasn't listening. He glanced over at the girls section to see the stony face of Minerva Paradizo, the daughter of one of the other victors, who had won a year before his own father. Minerva was about the same age as he was, and was a hardened fighter, like her father. Mr. Paradizo's games, they say, only lasted four days, because of him. Artemis, on the other hand, was a total wimp. His father didn't want to expose his children to that kind of raw violence. Artemis hoped with all his heart that if Minerva was picked, he wasn't picked. She would dice him into genius cubes before he had even passed the five minute mark.

A lady dressed in neon blue petticoats, a corset, and a tiny cone for a hat stepped up to the first glass bowl. Artemis could see the slips of paper inside, each inscribed with one name each. It was the girl's bowl. He felt the tech he had put into his inside pocket press against his chest as he breathed in slowly, not exhaling. The moment of truth. The lady whisked her hand in the bowl for a minute before pulling out (rather harshly) a piece of white paper the exact same as all the others. Artemis held his breath.

"Minerva Paradizo."

Artemis tried to gasp, but his lungful of air was too much, so he ended up coughing instead. In the dead silence, it was awkward. He tried to stifle the noise, and watched as Minerva walked up the small aisle and took her place on the stage. Her face was set and determined and she stood with confidence.

The woman now walked up to the boy's bowl and went for the little papers. Once again, Artemis began to shiver, despite the throttling heat. He felt the tech once again digging into his chest, its sharp cube shape hurting him, but still he waited with bated breath as the tiny paper was plucked from its companions, into the sharp nails of the woman.

"Beckett Fowl."

"No!" Artemis and Myles both cried out at the same time. With the two outbursts, the people around them began to mutter uncomfortably. Artemis could see Myles gripping tighter to Beckett as he was was being wrenched away from him by the Peacekeepers.

"Beck!"

Artemis was shocked to see tears streaming down his little brothers faces as they tried to hold tight to one another. All of a sudden, his senses came to him and he raised one arm high into the air.

"Wait!" He cried out to the stage. "I will present myself in place for the Tribute!"

Instantly the murmurs grew louder. The lady with the blue petticoats looked a bit frazzled. But Artemis kept his eyes on Beckett. The Peacekeepers had stopped trying to drag him from Myles, and now they hugged tightly, their eyes locked on their older brother. Their tears still flowed.

"What?" Asked the woman, still clutching the paper saying Beckett's name.

"I present myself in place for the Tribute," Artemis repeated, slower and steadier. He didn't even need to push to get to the aisle in front of the stage; everyone around him gave him a wide berth like he was diseased and contagious. He stepped into the aisle and walked forward.

"You volunteer as the Tribute?" The woman asked, as if needing clarification. Artemis stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Capital people. They were all the same: stupid rich people.

"Yes."

"Well then, come up onstage if you must. Trying to get all the glory, I suppose. And what's your name, young man?"

He climbed up the steps and stood next to Minerva. "Artemis. Artemis Fowl"

"Artemis? Isn't that a g-"

"It is," He stopped her short. "But I was named specially after the best hunter history had ever seen. And for that I am proud."

"And Fowl, you say? Not our Tribute's brother?"

"Indeed, I am."

"Well, isn't that sweet!" She grinned at him. It looked more as if she was baring her jaws, ready to take a bite. She turned back to the audience and started to speak again. Artemis, once again, tuned her out and looked only at Myles and Beckett. They watched only him until he and his fellow Tribute were escorted into the town hall and the door closed, their death toll. It rang throughout District 3.

Artemis sat in pity in his small room, waiting to say goodbye to his parents, his brothers. He knew the next time he would see his home was packed in a coffin. He wanted to get the goodbyes out of the way before they watched him get ripped to shreds by some rabid Tribute or another. First his mother and father came in. His mother cried, which made him cry. His father consoled both of them and hugged Artemis tighter than he had ever hugged him in his life. When they left, he knew his father, once he got out the door, was going to start crying.

Myles and Beckett came next, each giving him a small token of their love. From Myles, it was a stopped watch. From Beckett, it was a pressed daisy. Each hugged him tightly and told him they loved him. He told them the same thing, and hugged each in turn.

When his family had gone, he sat once more all alone in the room, head in his hands. There were no more tears. He kept his eyes closed and tried to fall into a meditative state. But he was pulled out of it when the door opened, a gruff voice told him to get going, and a moment later, he found himself on a train that was rolling out of station.