My Artemis Fowl fan fiction

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Trouble Kelp was one of the LEP's best and brightest, so of course he was put in charge of one of the most important rescues of the century. He brought up two fingers to his face automatically, forgetting that he had one of the more recent LEP helmets. The ones with built in mikes. He smiled a bit. Trouble liked all the new technology. It made him feel young, and intelligent. He wouldn't be feeling much of that anymore if he and his crew couldn't rescue Foaly. And Holly. Holly was the LEP's only female Captain, practically a legend. If she never came back, nothing would be the same. It'd be the Captain Root situation all over again, and Trouble wasn't going to let that happen.

All 14 fairies assembled in the center of the study, No1 pacing around them, trying to find his center like Qwan had taught him. All eyes followed him. He finally found his concentration center at a sort of angle facing the group, and didn't move a muscle. Any detachment from this particular position could mean disaster for the group about to travel interdimensionally. Not to mention for No1 himself.

"Are you ready, No1?" Qwan asked patiently. No1 said nothing, so Qwan took it for a yes and walked over to stand beside him. "I assume you know the dimension you want to travel to, so I'll just go along with it. You just need me for the power, right?

No1 said nothing. Vinyaya entered the study with Trouble Kelp, who looked over the fourteen fairies and nodded approvingly. The perfect squad. A group of fairies on a mission destined to succeed, no chance of failure. Leading the perfect squad was a once in a lifetime opportunity... Trouble was not going to waste it.

"I trust that our warlocks are ready?" Vinyaya asked Qwan, who stood peacefully beside No1. 

"Yes, Commander, whenever you are ready, we are as well." Vinyaya nodded curtly. "But I would suggest that you be ready as soon as possible, we're on a bit of a timed schedule here..." Captain Kelp filed into the line of fairies and administered his LEP helmet.  Vinyaya paced to the front of the study, facing the group and cleared her throat authoritatively.

"You all know your mission, however, there are some things I must repeat. One: There are exactly six lives at stake, and two of them are our own kind." Photos of Artemis, Butler, Holly, Foaly, Zoey, and Dr. Raven appeared in a slide show on the giant screen behind Vinyaya. "Save who you can, put no one above anyone else. Is that understood?" She paused, and then took the squad's silence as a unanimous yes. "I have been told to remind you to concentrate on nothing else except your mission. Any stray thoughts may lead you to somewhere most undesired. I don't think any of you wish that upon yourselves..." Vinyaya paused to glare at one of the men, who stared straight ahead, unfazed. "Two Mud People, Mr. Joseph Bowler and his daughter, Seraphina, you are now warned not to engage them in combat for any reason whatsoever. They are armed and extremely dangerous. Get in, then get out. Those are your orders. Is that understood?" 

"Yes, Commander Vinyaya." All fourteen fairies answered in perfect unison. She nodded curtly at the group, then turned to Qwan.

"Your turn." Trouble resisted the urge to pull on his restricting collar nervously. If he showed any sign of weakness, he could be expelled from the mission. That was never going to happen.

"Whenever you're ready, No1." Qwan said gently. A silent No1 opened his eyes. They glowed an insanely bright red, as did the magical rune on his forehead. A few of the fairies who had never seen No1 before shifted their eyes to stare at the young warlock. 

"Concentrate on the task at hand." Vinyaya reminded them fiercely. All eyes were averted from No1.

"Time to go!" No1 exclaimed squeakily. Qwan tried not to roll his eyes at his student's 'Power Voice.' Both he and No1 closed their eyes again to concentrate, the entire room gaining a red hue around them. The space seemed to spin round and round, showing no signs of slowing. A haze surrounded the fairies, like one would see on the road at a distance on a very hot day. Trouble suddenly lost sight of Artemis Fowl's study. In fact, he couldn't see anything. A blank space stood in front of him, like a painter's canvas ready to be personalized and created. A new environment came into focus around the group. A cramped hallway with unmarked doors on both sides of the walls. The fairies glanced towards Trouble, the leader of the squad. 

"Shields on." He ordered. The demand was carried out quickly. To the untrained eye, the entire floor of the drab blue carpeted hallway probably seemed like it was underwater. Everyone shifted into their appropriate groups of three except for Trouble and Mixx, a new LEP Captain. He must be very adept if Vinyaya drafted him for this mission, Trouble thought. "Groups 1-2, cover the south hall. 3 and 4, north. Mixx and I will take this hall. Report anything susupicous. Lives depend on us, men." He said bravely, recieving twelve nods in response before departure.

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I apologize profusely, since it has been weeks since my last chapter and all I have to show for it are these few paragraphs... but I will make up for it by posting a new one soon. (Like, in the next two days, soon.) Thanks to everyone!