Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone. Yeah, yeah. You've heard this before.
This story is set post TAC. Enjoy...
Trouble walked into Doctor Argon's office; he looked around with distaste as he saw how Opal's money had been spend. Expensive trimmings and plush furniture, the room screamed money. At least there weren't any animal furs, everyone has a limit.
The Commander approached the pixie receptionist, the fairy smiled up at him.
"Do you have an appointment?" she asked sweetly. Trouble nodded and shoved the letter that Argon had sent him across the chrome bench top. The pixie nodded and gestured which way to go. "He'll be ready for you now." Trouble nodded and walked to Argon's private office, no doubt as posh as the rest of the building.
As a Commander, there is always work. Forms that have to be filled out, requests for leave from most of his officers, and then, there was that Fowl problem. Trouble had lots of work, but when Professor Argon had asked him for an interview to help him write his new biography on Fowl, Trouble couldn't resist the opportunity to mock the mudboy.
So now he was there, and he was still unsure what he would say. Many events had been unfolding since the human had developed Atlantis Complex. "Come in!" Called a tired voice from the office, Trouble followed suit, and saw Professor Argon hobble into his seat. Trouble took the opportunity to sit down and relax for a second. "Wait a moment while I get my notepad." Argon said hurriedly. Of course, it wasn't really a notepad, rather, a slim touchscreen device that Argon was most fond of.
As the doctor sat down, Trouble briefly thought about how Holly would react to the book, if Trouble would make his distain for Fowl public. He supposed she wouldn't care. Holly had slipped away from him as the human had recovered from Atlantis, she had other priorities, look after Fowl, not go for dinner with her superior officer. Trouble realised that Argon was staring at him expectantly, so he hid the scowl from his face and began to talk.
"Fowl has never been an asset to the people. He has continually caused unrepairable damage and injury." Trouble paused for breath and was surprised to see that Argon hadn't written anything down. "Is something wrong?" Trouble asked, "Are you still processing what I just said?" Argon looked at Trouble with exasperation.
"Look Commander, we all know how much you hate Artemis, so please, don't use this as an opportunity to needle him or throw insults, rather speak the truth and tell me of what happened last Saturday, I need more information."
Trouble sighed, Why can't I just insult him? He wondered with annoyance, after all, why should last Saturday be of any significance? Though in his heart, Trouble knew that last Saturday, he had seen something that still haunted him. Why not let it out? He thought, then began to talk, "Last Saturday, Fowl was discharged from your Clinic, and sent to recuperate for a week in the apartment of Captain Short. You would know this since it happened in this building, but I was there too. Captain Short was just escorting Fowl out, Argon, you had just gone to the bathroom, and I came up to Fowl. I asked Captain Short of why Fowl had not been cleared for a surface visa yet, and she told me that Fowl would be staying with her for a week. I... uh.. did not react pleasantly to this so I screamed at Fowl and Short for a few moments, then punched Fowl in the stomach." Trouble stopped and massaged his temple, he did not want to say what had happened next.
Trouble wasn't sure if he was happy that Argon had finally began to take notes, but he decided that he could not hide the past forever. Argon looked up and said, "And what did you say to Artemis and Holly?" Trouble was even more annoyed that Argon had called Holly and Fowl by their first names consecutively, it sounded as if they were together. Trouble shuddered.
"I.. ah.. briefly mentioned how Fowl was a criminal and how he was corrupting Captain... uh.. Short and I might have mentioned that Fowl was crazy and had a plan for world domination that involved the destruction of the people."
Argon nodded,
"Did you think that these allegations were true?"
Trouble shook his head, "I... no. No."
Argon stood up, leaning on one leg, "Well Commander, that will be all for today, unless, you want to inform me of what happened next?" Trouble knew he couldn't back up now, so he let out his suspicion.
"When I, punched Fowl, Captain Short crumpled with him. It was, as if they were both connected, and I felt rather bad, for inflicting pain on my fellow officer."
"Did you feel bad for punching Fowl?"
"No."
"Then that'll be all. Thank you Commander."
Trouble stalked out of the office, contemplating what he was really thinking about Holly and Fowl, for as much as he hated to admit it, he suspected that they were more than friends.