Of Mice and Mud-Men [Artemis]

[Captain Holly Short]

So. Here she was. Stationed on the surface, undercover, in order to investigate these mutated mud-men. She was quite thankful that Artemis had offered to let her stay at the manor. Perhaps he wished for the home to have people in it. Holly was aware of the disappearance of his family, and terribly worried about it. However, she had her mission to complete.

Afterward, she'd focus her efforts entirely on reuniting Artemis with his missing family. So far he seemed to be alright, but Holly had the sneaking suspicion that he was hiding something. The idea of Artemis keeping any kind of secret was almost disconcerting.

After all, the Captain trusted Artemis with all her heart. She idly mused to herself just what he could really be hiding as she trudged toward the door of the manor, finally shimmering into sight when she was on the landing. Holly was a cautious individual, and far too wary of mud men in general. Especially ones in this city.

She tugged off her helmet and shook her head, running a hand through her short hair before ringing the doorbell. She assumed that Butler, the hulking bodyguard [and her close personal friend] was already aware of her presence. Adjusting her hold on the bag she had over her shoulder [which contained some old equipment Foaly wished to bequeath unto the mud-boy] she waited for the door to be answered.

[Artemis Fowl II]

Gaining access to the government's records wasn't difficult. Heroes and villains had better security than the people's own representatives. It was somewhat discouraging, but worked in Artemis's favor. There were red flags over his family, as usual. His father's file still read "missing." It hasn't been long enough for his family to be declared legally dead. Not that it would deter Artemis. His father had been dead before.

Artemis rested a head in the palm of his hands and steadied his breathing to bolster his concentration. He had been in this situation once before and he was doing his best to earn funds in a slightly less questionable way than the last time. All he could do now was look into any leads possible.

The doorbell rang, disrupting his concentration. Not even bothering to look up from his laptop computer, he hit a few keys and the screen divided into different live broadcasting videos of the manor. He turned his attention to the upper right stream, which showed the outside of the manor.

It was just Holly. He wasn't accustomed to her showing up as openly as she did now, but her presence was a welcome one. Especially with how empty the manor appeared these days without his parents and his brothers. Butler was at the dojo, so he stood up and left his study, going down the stairs to answer the door himself. He tapped the railing as he walked down, five times. The effect was like steadying himself so he didn't fall, even though he was in no danger of doing so. "Holly. Do come in, please."

[Captain Holly Short]

To say that Holly was happy to see Artemis was an understatement. She was quite elated actually, as evident from the smile on her face. Ever since the Fowls vanished, she'd been trying to convince herself that Artemis was alright; that he could handle anything thrown at him. However, no matter how mature and logical the boy could be, he was still a boy. She recalled the Arctic Incident; and the joy that was visible on Artemis' face when he was finally reunited with his father.

She liked that smile.

Entering the house she set down her bag, shutting the door before moving over to Artemis. The elf bit back the urge to hug him, and made a note to the fact that already he was taller than her. Granted, Holly only stood at a meter in height, but still... When they had first met, Artemis had been at her level. He was maturing. Changing from Mud Boy into Mud Man.

Not that she saw him as such. Artemis was a friend to The People.

More importantly, he was her friend.

"Arty." She used his nickname, the same name his mother called him. Such familiarity denoted just how concerned she was for the boy. It was rather unlike Captain Short to have tender moments. As of late, Artemis seemed to be the only one capable of bringing this side out of her. "How are you holding up? I'm sure you're well aware as to why I'm here... but if there is anything at all I can do to help..." She let her words hang. Her mouth formed a thin line of worry before shifting into a small frown, her heterochromatic eyes reflecting her unease.

[Artemis Fowl II]

He could tell that she was happy to see him. Anyone would be able to, with the large smile she had on her face. Artemis had long accepted that, as unlikely as it was for him to make friends and despite the bad beginnings, he a friend in Captain Holly Short. Artemis stepped aside and held the door open for Holly as she entered, noting she seemed smaller when she passed him. He was well aware that Holly was not getting smaller, but he was getting taller. Strange, considering when they first met, they had been about the same height.

He hesitated at the use of the nickname. Normally, coming from Holly, it wouldn't cause him any pause. But it was his mother's nickname for him and it reminded him of his current situation. Nevertheless, he pushed aside the reminder. “I am well, Holly.” Artemis insisted this once more with a level and controlled tone. He had to convince her that he had things under control. Holly was here on business and he wasn’t going to ask the People for help when he was certain he could handle the situation on hand through his own means.

Artemis was well aware that she was looking at him now, probably trying to read a reaction from him. He gave her nothing to read. He kept his composure and looked at her in the eyes, a mirror of his own. “Concentrate on your work, Holly. For the sake of Haven,” he said, not unkindly.