Artemis Fowl: The Olympian Case

XVIIa: Where We Fall

Trouble POV

5 minutes...

Just a few minutes left until justice, to have the great Artemis Fowl in custody, and finally Trouble, no–the People, will finally have peace of mind with the knowledge of the single threat to their kind is behind bars–or better yet, dead.

Trouble exhaled as he stood as still as a statue on the hill overlooking this strange camp, questioning if he should be furious on the idiocy of these Demi-humans to harbor such a criminal...or the speculation of that criminal coercing a bunch of teens to seek refuge, all the while dragging them into a matter they have no involvement of.

Honestly, Trouble wouldn't be surprised if the latter was proven right. After all, this was Artemis Fowl we are talking about–the very definition of criminality and the sheer example of what humans are capable of, and why the People retreated to the underground in the first place...

At last, all of us will finally have closure, Trouble thought as tears threaten to escape. You can finally find rest, my love...

He chuckled on those last two, for she would have definitely smack him for such a cheesy pick of words. Then again, those fleeting moments...oh, how endearing have they become after her absence.

Trouble visibly shuddered as he envisioned her face, smiling playfully as if he had just said a terrible joke but laughed anyway. Reckless and trustworthy, considerate and strong-willed...

Trouble pulled out a simple golden ring, designed with similar curves and indentations as that of a vine wrapped like a wreath, with a brown gem polished to a degree similar to the workings of a diamond. He choked at the sight of it, breaking his composure for a second, a tear escaping from his watering eyes.

If only she hadn't involved herself...

If only she had picked differently on her job...

If only...

The incident had happened two years ago, yet the shock of the news still felt raw and fresh to Trouble, recalling it as if the horror was just yesterday...

=====🦉=====

"Code Red Com! I repeat, CODE RED COM!" Foaly's voice, of all things, blared at the speakers and spreading confusion and sudden alertness to the entire office. Trouble had been checking his gear at the time, and was already putting it on upon remembering the contents of that order–in  all simplicity, we've been compromised.

Trouble sped his way to the briefing room, only to be surprised that the briefer was Foaly himself.

"Foaly, what–"

He then noticed that the centaur was as pale as a sheet, with eyes red and puffy from tears. What would have shocked this centaur to tear down his pride and show such demeaning display? Unless...

Dread whelmed Trouble as he had locked eyes with Foaly, who had seem distant awhile ago. The centaur's eyes then suddenly watered, then shook his head grimly.

...What? No, it can't be...

"Ev-Everyone" Foaly stuttered loudly, "We have a clean-up job to do"

The group groaned for a second, but just as sudden it came it went away, as everyone were concerned on this strange situation.

"There has been a massive explosion...at the passageway in Ireland. The caverns have caved in, so we are sending you to the passageway via London to–"

An uproar would have started then and there, but Trouble beat the crowd to it as he then flew in and lifted the Foaly in the air, his eyes a cross between worry, anger, and shock.

"Where is she? Is she safe!?" Trouble yelled deliriously at Foaly. The centaur simply looked at him directly, grabbed his shoulders...and shook his head.

=====🦉=====

Trouble couldn't recall what happened after that. Hell, if an asteroid landed right there, he probably wouldn't have noticed nor cared. It was as if a part of him had died along with the revealing of the news...

He had gone there, the site of the catastrophe. He could recall how he desperately looked for survivors, lifting debris and putting out fires, going as far as using his own bare hands to dig the ground. But...nothing.

It was the worst incident that has struck the the People since their decent to the underground realms...

'5,000 dead, about roughly 60 survivors that later on were confirmed dead on arrival'

How? Residue of radiation stained the area...it was obvious even to a goblin that a human bomb had been detonated in the post.

Why? No one knows, or to be more frank, no one dares. Rumors of the higher-ups having the full footage of the events that unfolded at the time began to circulate, and Trouble was enraged at this. He couldn't even had the solace of knowing what happened! Cruel this was, for him not only to lose the love of his life, but to even not know what happened to her in the end! He couldn't even find her body...

Who?

Artemis Fowl.

Trouble growled under his breath, alerting the attention of his two bodyguards behind him, but he didn't care. He had nothing but absolute loathing to that Mud spawn.

Upon learning who was responsible for the death of his future wife, Trouble was determined to catch this slithering snake of a human and bring justice for himself, and for the People! He rose through the ranks and trained day in and day out for this. He will catch this Mudchild, and finally by then he will force the question he had been long wanting to hear the answer for: Why did you do it?

Why?

...

"...Boss–Boss!!"

Trouble snapped out his deep thoughts as a horn blared throughout the camp below. They rose a white flag, calling for a negotiation with four teens coming forward, one of them bounded and gagged.

That must be...

Trouble held his breath for a moment then composed himself, his stiff stature returning once more, his eyes like that of a man who had walked through hell and back. He probably had, considering that he quelled rebellions and brought down Haven criminals in a daily basis, all to steel himself physically and mentally when he finally meets face-to-face with his sworn enemy.

"What are your orders, Chief?" the bodyguard on his left asked him cautiously.

Trouble glanced once more at the ring and his face seem to soften, and so had his voice, "At ease, Captain. This will be over soon, and you can finally be at rest"

Strangely, the bodyguard felt that somehow the Chief wasn't talking to him at all.