Hello everyone! I feel like it's been a while since I've gotten a chapter finished. I think about a month now? It's been a super weird month with all this coronavirus stuff going on. We're still okay here, but it's still incredibly anxiety inducing. Despite being "an essential worker," I haven't worked in almost a month, since the kennel has been nearly completely empty since our governor has issued the shelter in place order. That's fine with me (I told my bosses if there are shifts available to give them to the younger girls who don't have a second source of income); the husband has been working from home and will be indefinitely. If anything, I think I'm just starting to get a little stir crazy being at home all the time.

Since my last update, it was announced that the Artemis Fowl movie was going to be skipping theaters due to the pandemic, and will be going straight to Disney+. I'm weirdly okay with this? On one hand, I have been dying to see this movie on the big screen- even if it isn't the carbon copy of the book I have always wanted. Yet, on the other, the prospect of sitting at home in my pajamas, not spending an arm and a leg at the theater for tickets/popcorn/etc.,  and not having to find a babysitter is also amazing. There hasn't been an official release date yet, but I'm still excited.

I shouldn't have shared the article on Facebook though; my mom thought it was already out and that she shouldn't call me in case I was watching it. I wish, mom. I wish.

That being said, I can't guarantee I'll have it finished before they release it to Disney+. If it sticks closer to the initial May 29th, I think I can still pull it off. I don't have many chapters left in this story, so if I stop getting distracted by Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and my other stories (mainly Shine Again), I can finish this relatively soon.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. I hope all of you are staying safe in these trying times!
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Sometime after they received weaponry from Foaly, the group arrived at the frozen castle in a remote region of Ireland. The hilly area around the castle was not its typical green, but instead was covered in a thick layer of fluffy white snow. The sight in itself was unusual for the Emerald Isle. They received snow, but nothing like this, and surely not during this time of year. The temperature was chilly, and it made Diana instantly wish she had worn a coat on top of her Under Armour jacket. The group stood just inside the castle gates, wondering how they would get inside.

    "I think we'll have to scale the side," Holly finally decided.

    Artemis raised an eyebrow skeptically. "When it's practically frozen solid? I think not. You wouldn't be able to get a cord to stick, and you'd slide right off the face of the wall if you did."

    "Your group is taking the cellar, so you can leave your biased opinion out of this," Holly sassed. "I'm going to get us up there one way or another."

    "The air ducts are on the top so we don't have much of a choice." Sebastian analyzed.

    She ran over ideas in her mind. She could shoot her piton cord at the wall, pray it stuck and they could climb that. Or she could attach both Alex and Sebastian to her moon belt and she could fly them up. Holly was leaning towards the second option.

    She pulled a clip from her belt and glanced at Alex. "Guess what? You get to experience real flying too."

    Alex giggled quietly for a moment. "Frickin' sweet!"

    Artemis rolled his eyes. "Have fun with that."   

    "Oh, I will," Alex noted. With that, Holly attached both Alex and Sebastian to her belt. Holly looked up towards the roof and began to fly using the mechanical wings on her back. Alex enjoyed the short flight, but remained silent to keep them unnoticed. Holly landed on the roof with ease, and immediately released the heavy humans from her belt.

    "Now onto the vent," she declared.

Holly scanned the roof, looking for a heating, or in this case, probably cooling, vent. She spotted it immediately, and beckoned the two humans to follow her to it. She pulled out her Neutrino and blasted the corners where the protective grate was held, and it fell to the cement floor with a clang.

    "Who wants to go first?" Sebastian muttered.

    "I will," Holly decided. She hopped into the vent and slid down it until the metal turned horizontally. She landed on her knees and was pleased when she realized that there was more room in the vent than she originally thought. "It's safe!" she called out.

    Holly rolled out of the way as Alex and Sebastian joined her in the vent moments later. She looked at the blueprints on her helmet. "We have to follow this until it forks off and then we have to take a right."

    "Sounds easy enough," Sebastian thought aloud.

    "It should be," Holly muttered. "But things are never easy around here..."

*****

    Trouble kicked open the door of the castle's cellar. Dust and ice flew out as the wood cracked from the force of the kick from the elf. He led Artemis and Diana into the confines of the basement. Ortherion hadn't bothered spiffing up the basement at all. Cobwebs and dust covered the walls and flooring. The floors and walls were covered in moss and mold. The air was damp and heavy, and Artemis could feel his allergies starting to bother him.

    "This is sooooo nasty!" Diana shrieked as a large spider crawled across her boot. She held on to Artemis tightly as he sniffled a little.

    "Agreed," he decided. "If it gets to the point where my allergies start up, it's bad. My allergies are barely noticeable any other time."

    Trouble rolled his eyes. "You two are just being drama queens."

    "You're thinking it too!" Diana protested.

    Trouble sighed. "This isn't that bad, now stop complaining."

    Diana shook her head, but shut up anyway. She really just wanted to get this mission done and over with so she could get back to her dorm and sleep in a nice warm bed. She was running off a miraculous two hours of sleep, so this expedition was not going to be pretty if it didn't go according to schedule.

    They walked almost blindly through the dark basement for what seemed like forever before Trouble found a staircase leading up to the next floor. He hesitantly began to climb the stairs with Diana and Artemis close behind. Trouble tried to open the door, but it was locked. His officer training kicked in and he took a few steps back before charging the door, trying to bust it open. However, the door remained shut. After trying a few more times, Trouble grew frustrated with it.

    "Ugh, Artemis, you try," he decided. "I can't do it."

    Artemis pulled away from Diana for a moment. He stared at the door with single-minded determination. Then he charged the door. Dust began to swirl as Artemis' body crashed into the doors. Artemis stared at the door as he rubbed his shoulder from pain.

    "Damn... this door is really bolted tight," he muttered.

    Diana, who had been watching the two attempt to bust down the door, stepped forward. "Let me show you how it's done," she piped up.

    "If we couldn't do it, what makes you think you can?" Trouble questioned.

    "I have talent," Diana said with a shrug.

    Grudgingly, Trouble moved out of her way, as did Artemis. Diana threw her weight from her hips into the door, causing it to splinter. Artemis and Trouble stared at her, mouths agape. Neither one of them could believe she was able to do it so easily after the two of them struggled.

    "I hate you," Trouble muttered, hopping over the splintered remains of the door. He took a look around as Diana rejoined Artemis' side. The two humans followed him as he scanned the area. Trouble looked over his shoulder at them. "Be on your toes."

    The trio slowly made their way around the floor, Trouble leading the way towards the next set of staircases. Through the castles battered hallways, a cool draft crept in from between the stone walls. Diana found herself constantly rubbing her arms trying to keep warm. She was about to say something until they entered a narrow hallway, filled with a plethora of Ortherion's minions, who very quickly noticed their presence.

    The group each drew their weapons, aiming carefully as the minions charged them with force. Diana quickly switched her weapon from 'stun' to 'kill' (even though it killed her to do it), and began firing away just as Artemis and Trouble were. After the group of minions were all dead or, at the very least, wounded, they regrouped, taking account all possible injuries. Diana and Trouble were unscathed; however, Artemis was holding his upper arm.

    "Why are you holding your arm?" Diana questioned him, trying to pull his hand away from his arm.

    "No reason," Artemis answered. "I'm fine."

    Diana didn't believe him. She continued to pull at his hand until she was able to free it. She gasped when she saw the tear in the fabric of his shirt, and the blood that was streaming from a gash in his arm.

    "We have got to fix that," Diana said, concerned.

    "Diana, I'll be fine," Artemis assured. "I've survived worse."

    "I don't care, you're getting that fixed," Diana decided matter-of-factly. She tore a piece of fabric from the bottom of her shirt and slipped it through the sleeve of Artemis' shirt and tied it tightly around his arm where it was injured. "I know it's make-shift, but it will have to work for now," she added.

    "Are we all ready now?" Trouble asked.

    The couple nodded and followed the elf through the doorway and into the next room. They went up another set of staircases and made it to the grand ballroom without further confrontation. They could see the laser, see the beam it was emitting into the atmosphere, and, most importantly, see the gem powering it. It was only a matter of getting it. How could it be this easy? It seemed like they were walking right into a trap.

    "You know this is a trap, right?" Artemis warned.

    Yet, Trouble pushed them to go further towards it despite the warning. When they were within its reach, the predictable happened. They were led into an ambush, minions attacking them from all sides. As they were surrounded on all sides, Ortherion appeared hovering near the laser.

    "D'Arvit," Trouble breathed.

    Ortherion snickered. "What a lovely surprise? I never suspected you three were stupid enough to come here." Ortherion studied the group for a moment. "But you're missing a few. Where are the others?"

    "Wouldn't you like to know?" Artemis responded.

    Ortherion raised an eyebrow. "Still making wise cracks, eh Fowl?"

    Artemis didn't treat him to a response. Instead, he drew his weapon, aiming it at Ortherion. The sprite laughed at the Mud Boy.

    "Shoot me, Fowl," he chuckled, "and all of you will perish."

    Artemis lowered his Neutrino slightly as he noticed the minions beginning to move in closer to him. His mind began to race over his options. Shoot Ortherion, and get attacked and possibly killed. Lower your weapon and definitely get killed. This was a lose/lose situation, and Artemis was all too aware of that.

    Where the hell were the others?

*****

    The air vent was cold against their hands. Holly, Alex, and Sebastian had been tunneling their way through the air system to the halfly renovated castle for what had seemed like eternity. Alex was honestly getting tired of the cramped space and view of Holly's rear.

    "How much longer do we have to go?" the girl asked.

    "Not much longer," Holly assured. "Just up around this next bend I think."

    Sebastian sighed. "I'm enjoying the view and all, but my neck is killing me."

Alex just rolled her eyes. Now was so not the time for flirting.

    A few more minutes of silently scooting about the vents high above the ground below them ensued. Before too long, just as Holly said, they reached the end of the vent. Holly stared at the cold metal wall in front of them for a moment. Then she heard a crack.

    Before any of them could fully comprehend what was going on, the vent broke beneath them, causing them to tumble to the ground below them. They landed in the ballroom just as Holly predicted, but instead they found themselves landing on a landing pad made of goblin minions.

    Alex stood and rubbed her shoulder, feeling like she may have dislocated it during the fall. "And this is why we never listen to you dear."

    "It was going well up until the end!" Sebastian protested as he assessed the damage from his fall. He had a few minor cuts from the broken metal vent and he was glad that his tetanus was to date.

    Holly seemed to be relatively unscathed, but was still a little disoriented for a moment. She blinked a few times as she stood up, stepping on an unconscious goblin's face in the process.

    "So this is your ambush?" a voice echoed through the room.

Holly glanced up to see that Ortherion was hovering over them. The elf also saw Trouble, Artemis, and Diana surrounded by his henchmen. There was no way they were going to be able to fight them all off. Not without some dire consequences.

    It was Artemis who spoke next. "I never said there was an ambush, so you should get your story straight," he hissed. He had moved into a defensive position, protecting Diana the best he could.

    Ortherion chuckled evilly. "Cuff em, boys."

    All six of them found themselves once again in uncomfortable restraints. The minions wasted no time in herding them back together in the center of the room. Ortherion was staring at them, a completely demented look upon his face. He pressed a button on the remote controller he was carrying, and the laser stopped and slowly turned to face them.

    "I'm afraid this is the end for you six," he announced.

    The group felt their hearts sink as the laser began to charge up, only a few feet from their faces.