Alice sat on the roof, scouring the crowd for her guest. Yes, people walked by and looked up at her, but come one, She Couldn’t be Siren.
She giggled at the fact that no one knew it was her. When she spotted something in the crowd: a Big Bald man, and a short boy walking just ahead of him.
That had to be him. That had to be Artemis Fowl!

“Jon Spiro…” said Alice thoughtfully, as she tipped back in the chair.
Artemis almost said Please don’t do that.
Alice’s face lit up and snapped her fingers. “Yeah I think the guys hiding in Australia right now!” she pouted. “He’s one of the guy I owe a debt to.”
Artemis didn’t seem interested in the girl’s life story, so he stood up. “Fascinating. Thank you.” He began to walk away.
Alice semi-gasped. “Hey!” she yelled.
He turned around.
“Not to unravel my life story, but I have quite a lot of debts, and I believe you said something about a pay.
In a second, a bag of gold coins was in the girl’s hand, and with their business done, they walked away in separate directions.

Artemis walked away from the café he had met the girl in. Australia. Eh?
“Did you really need her, Artemis?” Asked Butler.
Artemis didn’t look up. “She said she knew, so I asked.”
Butler sighed.

“100….” Alice rummaged threw the small sack for the ones she’d missed. She couldn’t find any and turned the bag upside down and shook it. “Hey! She yelled, a pissed and shocked expression on her pale face. “I got ripped off! God Damn You, Fowl!”

Artemis sneezed.
“Getting sick, Sir?” asked his employer.
Artemis looked to the other side, seeing a black streak bolting over boxes, buildings, and people. “We’ve Got Company.” He said.

“Rip me off….” Muttered Alice.
Butler was at a state that if a fly whizzed pass his employers ear, he could stop it before it flew out of line with his face. That also meant that if Alice was running at a billion miles an hour trying to steal from the boy, he could have stopped that too. He did, and he held her up in he air,
“What do we have here?” He asked. Alice wriggled.
“You ripped me off!” She blurted, loudly. She surprisingly got out of the huge manservant’s grip, standing on a box about 10 feet ahead of them, back turned. In her hand there was one thing – a wallet. She swiped her hand across her belt and then held it between two knuckles. A small blue box, AKA – the C Cube. “Looking for this?” she said, a voice resembling Artemis’s own.
Artemis gasped.
“You should be scared…” There it was again – the voice of a criminal mastermind toying with its victim.
Artemis’s cool came back. “And why is that?”
“Cuz you’ve been hit by… You’ve been struck by…” she turned around in a split second, hand purposely brushing a bit of hair out of his blue-black eyes. “ – A smooth Criminal!” with that, she backwardly jumped, landing on buildings, but at the third jump, she fell, making a noise resembling that of a chicken.
Artemis grunted. “Smooth Criminal my ***!” he cursed. Rare – extremely rare. Master Artemis was not one to be trifled with, especially by a little girl-playing thief.

An enraged boy shook Alice awake. “Where did you get that box?” He yelled, Alice not yet awake, and her brain not yet ready to process questions.
Alice pushed him off and rubbed her head. “I stole it from someone who stole it from Spiro, what’s it to you?” Evil criminal Genius against Evil criminal Genius. Butler decided this was not going to be pretty.
Artemis shoved his hand in front of her face, expecting to find something placed in it.
Alice took the hint. “Excuse me, Buddy, but its mine!” she hollered.
‘Buddy?’ screamed Artemis in his head.
It was getting late. Alice had to be somewhere. “Look, Arty, I can’t play anymore…” she stood up, black hair glistening in the moons Glow. One eye an Icy blue, the other the color of the sea. And only one person around here had eyes like that.

—Siren—-
Alice continued. “But I’ve got places to be… Stuff to steal… People to kill…” with that she was off.
And for once in his life, Artemis was both stunned and had nothing to say. His C Cube was in the hands of a famous thief, who was probably planning to sell it on the black market…

This wasn’t good at all.
He sighed, and then stood.

Alice had nowhere to go now. Jon Spiro had sent people to get the cube from her, but she didn’t exactly have a bff around. Where to go, Where to go?!

Artemis…

Artemis hadn’t gotten the chance to fly back home, so had stayed in an inn. It didn’t take long for Alice to find which inn – the one that cost the most and was the most fancy.
“Arty.” She whispered, pecking on the window to his room, and listening for the men Spiro had hired to get here.
“Artemis Turned around. “You!” he got up and opened to window.
“I –“ Alice started to say something, but her eyes trailed off to just what the boy was wearing. “Nice Jammies.”
Artemis scowled and blushed. “Just what is it?!” he demanded.
Alice ‘s ears twitched. She had heard them – the men Spiro hired. In one swift movement, she pushed Artemis, while her other hand closed the window.
So here she was, on top some guy named Artemis, two guys zipping past the window looking for her, and she was probably going to get interrogated by said guy.
It was going to be a long night.

Some other stories by Haleo:

• Smooth Criminals - Theft Two: Not So The Same-