The Showdown
Chapter 3
Alliances are Made
Disclaimer: Ouran Highschool Host Club and Artemis Fowl, and their characters do not belong to me. They are the property of Eoin Colfer and Hatori Bisco-san and all associated thus.
By the same token, this story does not belong to anyone else, and as such, and elements not associated with OHSHC and AF, or the authors respectively, are by proxy mine to do with as I please. Do not take and reuse, redistribute or warp in any manner. Thank you.

xXx

The Host Club all looked up from their various tables when the doors of the third music room opened, as they did all throughout the sessions. This time, though, there was a... a slight uneasy feeling for all of them. Seeing the person standing there, Kyoya smiled slightly and returned his attention to his laptop. Tamaki squeaked and scrambled to his feet, paling quite a bit. The rest of the host club seemed oblivious to the identity of their intruder...

Except Haruhi. Kyoya was expecting her gasp of recognition when it came, and even the clatter of the tray in her hands as she dropped it (he added the price of the broken dishes to her debt). She stepped over the tray and walked across the room, slowly approaching Artemis Fowl on the other side of it.

"Artemis-sempai?" she asked, stopping in front of him. "You're the new student?"

xXx

Meiji Shrine, Shibuya, Tokyo. 12:56 AM, one day and 15 hours previously...

Though the shrine was supposed to be closed at night, there was no one there to stop Artemis as he arrived and entered. His footsteps were bare wisps of sound as he traveled down the dark, open hallways toward the area specified in his phone call with his mysterious contact.

He went to the central sanctuary, where they were to meet. Butler kept to the shadows, invisible to the naked eye. As the prodigy stepped into the large, mostly open courtyard that held the shrine dedication for Emperor Meiji and his Empress Shoken, he looked around the immediate vicinity. No sign of anyone else...

"Are you late?" he said loudly, smirking.

"Only one man, Artemis Fowl?" an amused Asian voice asked, in English. "Namaiki."

A young Japanese boy stepped from the shadows on the opposite side of the courtyard. He was dressed casually, in a pair of khaki slacks, black shoes and a pale pink button up shirt. It was left open, revealing the white undershirt beneath it. He lifted a hand, glancing at his watch. "Ah, right on time. I suppose that'll have to do," he commented airily, reaching up to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, making them flash despite the limited lighting.

Artemis eyed the boy, confident in his bodyguard despite the other's implication that he had more men around. "I seem to be at somewhat of a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I have yet to learn your name."

The bespectacled youth smirked, apparently feeling safe since he seemed to have the upper hand. "I'm surprised you didn't track my call and identify me when I contacted you... but then you were probably not expecting me to call on that number."

Correct. Interesting lad, this one is. My age, too, Artemis mused, but didn't let his thoughts show on his face. Instead, he smiled like an adult at a child that was being predictable and silly. "Yes, this is true." He saw nervous shifting in the shadows. "Perhaps your acquaintance would like to join us?"

A blond boy, not entirely Japanese though he appeared to be at least part, stepped into the semi-light beside his friend. He looked to be the same age, perhaps about seventeen. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black shirt that said 'Kiss Me, I'm Irish (slip me some tongue, I'm also part French)'. A bit in poor taste, but then Artemis had never been a fan of 'casual clothes'.

The blond gave Artemis a slightly uncertain wave, looking like he really didn't want to be there. "O-Ohayo. Watashi wa... Tamaki desu."

Artemis gave a slight bow in deference to the blond's politeness. "Watashi wa Fowl Artemis no Daini desu," he replied and returned his attention to Tamaki's friend, as he was clearly the orchestrator of this little meeting. "And you?"

The boy chuckled. "I'm Kyoya Ootori. It's a pleasure, Master Fowl."

Ootori? As in Ootori Group? This was just getting better and better. Artemis gave them his an indulgent smile. "Now, you've obviously asked me here for a reason. How about we stop posturing and get down to business, yes?"

Kyoya bowed slightly. "Of course. Like I said on the phone, I need a little 'magic', as Tamaki has put it. We have a little... issue with a competitor. Or, to be specific, Tamaki has the issue. After hearing that you were in town, I got curious. I happen to know that the only person our competitor has ever lost to would be you..."

The foreigner scoffed. "I thought so. This is about Conner, then, is it? Rather venomous woman, isn't she?" The Irish youth shifted his weight back onto his heels and glanced sky-ward, eying a barely noticeable shimmer in the air. "You know... she wasn't quite so ruthless back when I first met her. I think I may have 'inspired' her, even..."

Kyoya's eyes narrowed, flickering upward as if wondering what he was looking at. Then he looked back at Artemis' face, to find the gaijin looking back at him, piercing blue eyes glinting. He returned the other boy's look with an utterly polite smile. "Oh? You had such a profound effect on her, did you? I wonder if you'll have such an effect on Haruhi."

Artemis' eyes narrowed at that, all traces of humor leaving his face. Before he could say anything, the blond Tamaki started and turned to stare at Kyoya. "N-nani?! Naze wa Haruhi-"

"Tamaki damare."

The blond fell silent and glanced at Artemis, this time his expression fully closed and suspicious. These boys knew Haruhi, did they? And Tamaki seemed to be attached to her in some way... His curiosity successfully piqued (as he was sure had been Kyoya's entire purpose for bringing the blond along), Artemis returned the polite smile.

"Oh, I see. Well, then I must assure you I have no intention of affecting her in such a manner. To prove it, I shall assist you in whatever way possible to rid yourself of this pretty temptress you're clashing with. Shall that be good?" He'd need to keep an eye on the boy, after all. Just for a while.

Kyoya beamed back. "Yes. Perhaps, as a cover, you should use the foreign transfer program to go to Ouran High, hm?"

"No doubt you already have the papers prepared," Artemis returned.

Tamaki looked back and forth between Artemis and Kyoya, a little scared of the very polite, happy smiles on their faces. Oh dear gods... It was a Shadow King twin.

xXx

And thus, they were here, standing in the third music room a day, fourteen hours and forty minutes later. "You're the new student?" Haruhi asked in Japanese, staring up at her friend.

Artemis offered her an amused smirk. "Yes, Haruhi, I am," he responded in kind.

"Oi! That's 'Haruhi-san' to you, mister," the twins said, instantly riling up at his unnecessary familiarity with her. They swept up beside her and practically draped themselves over her sides. Kaoru nuzzled just behind her ear, glaring at him, as his twin demanded hotly, "Who are you to be so familiar with our Haruhi?"

Haruhi sighed, but was unable to interject as Kaoru added, "We've never even heard of you. You can't call her by just her name."

Artemis eyed them with open curiosity. "Ah, I apologize for the offense... Do you mind just the name, Haruhi?" he asked, turning back toward her with a strange smile.

"Honestly? A little. But it doesn't really bother me that much. I think they're overreacting a little..." She shrugged and gave the twins an annoyed look.

Artemis bowed deeply. "Then I shall refer to you with an honorific, Haruhi-kun," he said, somehow aware of her status as a 'boy' in the school.

She wasn't really surprised by his knowing, though. He was a genius, and he'd probably heard about 'Haruhi-kun' somewhere and deduced that they thought she was a boy. Or something. She sighed and abandoned the line of thought, before shrugging off her friends. "Alright, alright. Enough, you two. Um, is there anything I can do for you, Artemis-sempai?"

He glanced toward the twins as they slinked back a few steps. "I had merely wished to come say hello," he replied, seemingly oblivious of the stares from the girls within the club.

Haruhi frowned and glanced around. "Erm, well, it's club hours right now, so..."

Bowing, Artemis smiled at her. "Of course. I hope you'll be able to join me for lunch tomorrow? I'll bring that book you requested."

The disguised girl lit up at that. "Oh, that'd be great! Thank you, sempai. I'd love to eat with you." She beamed brightly up at him, and said goodbye before parting ways.

Moments later, each of the Host members were surrounded by the curious fangirls, enduring almost too many questions to keep up with. Kyoya was forced to announce at large that no, the 'strange pale boy' would not be joining the club, setting many of them at ease.

Haruhi didn't personally see what their problem with Artemis was. He was nice! And smart, which was definitely a plus. And... okay, so he could kind of be creepy sometimes. But... She sighed. I get it. Picky rich girls.

It wouldn't have bothered her so much, admittedly, if the opinions of the crowd wasn't divided neatly in half. One group expressed their distaste for his manner and looks. The other were interested in him for his status and money.

Honestly, how can people be so shallow? she thought broodingly as she helped clean up after hours. She didn't have time to debate it, though, because the twins returned.

"Haruhi!" they whined in stereo. "Who was that?! Why did you let him be so disrespectful?!"

"How do you know him!" Hikaru burst out above his brother.

The brunette fixed them both with an annoyed glare. "I fail to see how any of that is your business," she replied firmly. "So butt out of mine, would you?"

The two cringed back to stare at her in horror, and she sighed. Now they were going to pester her. "We're just penpals, okay? I met him through a service. He's my friend, now stop acting like I'm a delinquent child with a fetish for bad boys!"

They both lit up with twisted delight, and Haruhi mentally winced. Bad choice of wording! she thought in dismay.

Luckily, for her, Tamaki stepped up beside her before they could speak. "Alright, you hooligans! Get back to work. We have to clean up!" He waved his arms at them and chased them away, before returning to her side and eying her a beat.

Haruhi waited, mostly for what seemed like an inevitable question. It never came. Instead, the blond gave her a wan grin and went back to his own clean-up chores. The girl stared after him in surprise, not sure what to think about his sudden... almost understanding.

Am I missing something?

xXx

Translation Notes:
Namaiki: Cocky.
Ohayo: Good morning (polite)
Watashi wa (name) desu: 'My name is'... or 'I am'...
Watashi wa Fowl Artemis no Daini desu: I am Artemis Fowl the Second.
Nani: What?
Naze wa Haruhi...: 'What has Haruhi' or 'why is Haruhi'
Tamaki damare: Shut up, Tamaki